Tl'.E  UfW 

UNlVr 

1 


3   1822  01053  4097 


WYNKOOP  HAUENBECK  CRAWFORD  CO.,   PRINTERS,  NEW  YORK. 


ERSITY  OF 
UFOHNIA 

*  D1QOO      ) 


THE   KNABE    PIANOS. 


TESTIMONIALS  FROM  DISTINGUISHED  ARTISTS,  COMPOSERS 

AND  MUSICIANS. 

Thalberg,  the  great  composer  and  musician,  wrote  of  the  Knabe  pianos  that  they 
were  "  distinguished  for  their  evenness  and  volume  of  tone,  and  their  easy  and  agreeable 
touch." 

Gottschalk,  whose  name  is  still  beloved  in  this  country,  said  of  them,  "  I  do  not 
hesitate  to  declare  them  equal,  if  not  supeiior,  to  the  best  manufactured  in  Europe  or 
this  country  by  the  most  celebrated  makers." 

Marmontel,  the  celebrated  professor  of  the  Conservatory  of  Music,  Paris,  said  the 
Knabe  pianos  are  instruments  of  the  first  merit,  and  regretted  that  they  were  not 
exhibited  at  the  great  Paris  Exposition  of  1867,  as  "  the  name  of  Knabe  would  certainly 
have  added  additional  honor  and  success  to  American  industry  and  skill." 

Sir  Julius  Benedict,  the  renowned  English  composer  and  conductor,  declared, 
after  personal  use  of  a  Knabe  piano,  that  it  was  "  one  of  the  most  perfect  pianos  I 
ever  met  with  j  their  success,  whether  in  a  large  concert-hall  or  in  a  private  drawing- 
room,  does  not  admit  of  the  slightest  doubt,  and  will  become  as  universal-  as  well 
deserved." 

Teresa  Carreno,  the  eminent  pianist,  renowned  in  Furope  as  well  as  America, 
chose  the  Knabe  Grands  for  her  concert  tour  because  she  "  had  carefully  tested  all  the 
prominent  pianos  in  America,  and  had  found  in  th"  K.nabe  warerooms  the  piano  which 
gave  her  satisfaction  in  every  point,  and  which  could  sustain  her  most  efficiently  in  the 
severe  task  before  her." 

'Fannie  Bloomfield  Zeisler,  the  distinguished  pianist,  and  the  favorite  pupil  of 
Leschetitzky,  the  husband  of  Madame  Essipoff,  after  "  having  used  the  Knabe  pianos 
fur  several  years,  both  in  numerous  concerts  and  at  home,"  indorsed  them  as  "  mobt 
wonderful  instruments,"  and  said  of  them  :  "  They  excel  in  a  refined,  sympathetic 
tone  of  surprising  singing  quality,  and  of  greatest  volume  and  depth,  perfection  in 
action  and  touch,  and  remarkable  durability,  an^  stand  in  tune  under  the  severest 
usage." 

The  late  Edmund  Neupert,  the  distinguished  Danish  pianist,  preferred  the  Knabe 
Grand,  because,  as  he  said,  il  I  have  never  used  an  instrument  which  has  met  all  the 
requirements  of  an  artist  more  completely  than  those  of  the  Knabe  make." 

Wilhelm  Ganz,  another  celebrated  composer  and  musician,  who  resided  for  many 
years  in  England,  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  "  these  instruments  are  in  every  respect 
most  perfect  in  tone  and  touch." 

Bernhard  Scholz,  the  composer,  after  using  the  Knabe  Grands  at  his  concerts  in 
:  Breslau,  Germany,  unhesitatingly  stated  that  "  they  are  as  near  perfection  as  can  be 
made."  This  opinion  was  indorsed  by  Dr.  Julius  Schaefer,  the  royal  professor  and 
'  musical  director,  who  pronounced  them  "  absolute  perfection." 

The  late  Dr.  Damrosch,  founder  of  the  Oratorio  and  Symphony  Societies,  whose 
name  will  be  forever  honored  in  the  musical  annals  of  this  country,  preferred  the  Knabe 
pianos  to  all  others  because  they  were  "  perfect  in  power  and  sweetness  of  tone,  remark- 
able for  the  easy  and  even  touch." 


♦   1       T 


Mr.  VICTORIEN  SARDOU. 


An  original  writer  is  not  lie  who  imitates  no  one,  but  he  who  no  one  can 
imitate.  Shakespeare  called  the  plots  of  his  best  pieces  from  legends  be- 
qaeathed  to  the  World  by  his  predecessors,  and  Moliere  admitted  with  the 
most  artless  good  faith,  "  qu'U  a  pris  son  Men  oh  il  Va  trouve"  Both,  however, 
are  inimitable ;  out  of  the  raw  metal  which  they  fused  they  contrived  to  issue 
coin  bearing  their  individual  stamp.  Of  a  hundred  writers  treating  a  given 
subject,  only  one  would  be  capable  of  imprinting  it  with  the  seal  of  his  per- 
sonality. 

Personality ;  all  the  immense  worth  of  Victorien  Sardou  is  denned  by  that 
one  word.  Philosophy  and  charm,  science  and  art,  all  take  through  him.  in 
him,  and  by  him  an  actual  and  a  clearly  engraved  physiognomy,  which  it  is 
impossible  not  to  recognize,  and  which  would  be  foolish  and  unjust  to  try  to 
ignore.  In  the  course  of  his  active  and  triumphant  career,  Sardou  has  several 
times  had  occasion  to  give  his  valuable  advice  upon  certain  works ;  to  touch 
up  a  scene,  or  to  slip  in  a  judicious  word,  to  heighten  a  situation  here,  or  \o 
develope  a  character  there.  However  anonymous  these  retouches  mignt  be, 
though,  it  was  impossible  not  to  distinguish  them  at  first  glance,  am  one 
trait  being  sufficient  to  reveal  the  master-hand. 

Victorien  Sardou's  father,  who  was  a  distinguished  spirit,  great  scholar, 
and  thorough  lexicographer,  to  whom  also  we  owe  a  very  precious  edition  of 
Kabelais,  sent  the  boy,  to  grow  at  his  freedom  in  Drienon  l'Archeveque,  one 
of  the  prettiest  villages  imaginable.  Brought  back  to  Paris,  the  young  man 
entered  first  the  Ecole  de  Commerce  de  Charonne  and  afterwards  the  College 
Henry  IV.  Who  knows  if,  from  these  two  different  sources  of  education,  there 
do  not  arise  in  Sardou's  work  its  happy  admixture  of  the  open  frankness  of 
practical  life  and  the  delicacy  of  classic  art.  Ardent,  curious  to  see  and  to 
know,  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  but  even  then  the  dramatic  instinct 
had  awakened  in  him,  and  already  having  taken  up  his  pen,  he  endeavored  to 
give  scenic  form  to  his  thoughts, — a  form  so  difficult  to  seize,  since  it  is  the 
result  of  action  told  in  dialogue. 

Les  amis  imaginaires,  which  perhaps  gave  birth  to  Nos  Intimes  and  La  Retne 
fepa,  are  the  first  conceptions  of  Sardou,  who  soon,  however,  taking  bolder 
flight,  attacked  Bernard  Palissy  in  verse,  some  published  fragments  of  which 
bespeak  the  dramatic  author  as  well  as  the  mere  writer. 

A  prey  to  the  difficulties  of  existence  ;  poor  and  wishing  to  devote  himself 
entirely  to  his  art,  Sardou,  pale,  thin  and  delicate,  had  to  yield  himself  up  to 


4  VICTORIES  SARDOU. 

ceaseless  work  in  order  to  live ;  giving  lessons  and  collaborating  with  com- 
pilers of  dictionnaries  and  encyclopedias  of  all  kinds,  gaining  his  bread  at  the 
point  of  his  pen,  contributing,  among  other  works,  some  excellent  articles  to 
the  "  Nouvelle  Biographic  Gcne'rale"  by  Doctor  Hoefer,  and  constantly  adding 
to  the  stores  of  his  learning,  and  making  provisions  of  arms  for  the  literary 
combat.  Alas!  the  first  literary  battle  of  this  courageous  soldier  was  to  end 
(  in  disorder.  The  conqueror  began  with  defeat.  La  Taverne  des  Etudiants,  a 
comedy  in  three  acts  of  verse,  was,  in  spite  of  its  amusing  qualities,  its  origin- 
ality and  its  many  fine  lines,  a  non-success,  a  failure,  a  fiasco  (we  may  as  well 
say  the  word)  of  the  most  pronounced  description ;  piteous  baptism  of  fire, 
which  retarded  for  several  years  the  blossoming  of  the  ardent  hopes  of  the 
indomitable  wrestler.  In  this  plight  poor  Sardou,  shattered  but  still  in  a  fever 
of  ambitious  expectancy,  was  forced  to  stand  aside  and  see  himself  passed  by 
for  the  successes  of  that  year,  1854,  which  remained  a  never  to  be  forgotten 
year  for  him. 

It  was  then  that  Sardou,  having  entered  into  partnership  with  Paul  Feval, 
a  novelist  of  the  gloomy  <  rder,  who,  in  spite  of  many  efforts  had,  up  to  that 
period,  obtained  no  success  in  the  theatre — suddenly  signed  Le  Bossn,  one  of 
the  sword  and  cloak  school  of  drama,  and  certainly  one  of  the  most  charming 
and  the  best  contrived  since  the  days  of  Dumas  pere. 

Sardou,  when  young,  had  the  profile  of  Bonaparte,  as  he  has  now  that  of 
Erasmus — having  made  allowances  for  the  period,  he  threw  into  the  fire  all 
the  used  up  tricks,  worn  out  phrases,  old  fashioned  platitudes,  and  in  each 
new  work  he  extended  his  method.  It  was  then  they  had  Sardou  in  his  early 
style  ;  airy,  amusing,  ironical,  as  in  the  Pattes  de  mouche,  the  Femmes  fortes, 
■j  -$08  Intimes  and  La  Famille  Benoilou,  in  the  Vieuse  Gar  cons  and  Maison  Neuve, 
exquisite  productions,  wherein  one  feels  that  the  author  has  been  the  first  to 
take  delight  in  them.  Later  on  he  wrote  Seraphine  and  Fernande,  both  of 
which  are  pieces  of  the  first  order  of  merit. 

One  day,  one  of  the  brightest  which  has  shed  lustre  upon  Sardou's  glory, 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  drama  of  Patrie,  and  again  to  La  Haine,  a 
tragedy-act  at  once  superior,  elevated  and,  in  every  way,  wonderful.  In  both 
these  powerful  dramas  Sardou  has  stirred  up  the  noblest  passions  and  the 
purest  sentiments.  They  equal  the  efforts  of  the  oldest  matters  as  much  by 
their  lofty  aims  as  by  their  style  and  conception.  Then  came  the  war, — that 
terrible  war  of  1870.  The  revolution,  which  followed  in  its  train,  furnished 
Sardou  with  one  of  his  most  thrilling  inspirations,  Babagas,  a  magnificent 
picture  and  a  cruel  satire  ;  a  political  comedy,  wherein  the  state  of  the  minds, 
manners,  hopes  and  follies  at  the  moment  are  faithfully  set  forth. 

Patrie,  La  Haine,  Babagas,  Theodora  and  Fedora  are  the  culminating 
points  of  Sardou's  prodigious  talent. 

Do  you  wish  to  laugh  ?  There  is  VEcureuil,  an  indescribable  fantaisie  ; 
there  is  Le  Magot,  a  topsy-turvy  folie,  irresistibly  contagious  ;  there  is  Les 
Gens  Nerveux  ;  there  is  Les  Ganuches  ;  and  there  is  Divorcons,  a  bouffonerie, 
containing  one  of  the  most  bitterly  philosophical  comedies  of  the  day. 

If  you  prefer  that  sweet  emotion  where  one's  tears  are  brightened  by  a 
tende**  smile,  we  have  Andrea;  we  have  Fereol,  we  have  Dora,  we  have  Odette, 


VICTORIEN  SARDOU.  5 

and  we  have  Georgette,  where  the  author  makes  us  weep  even  while  he  is  sup- 
porting a  theory,  one  of  the  most  arduous  and  exciting  theories  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  namely,  the  redemption  of  a  Magdalen  by  the  means  of 
maternity. 

If  you  would  rather  have  a  subject  picture,  choose  Don  Quichotte  ;  choose 
VOncleSam;  choose  Les  Fei m nes  fortes  ,  choose  Les  Papillons  ;  Nos  Intimes, 
or  Les  Merveilleuscs,  a  priceless  pearl  set  in  the  purest  gold.  If  you  incline 
towards  the  terrible,  to  the  quick  drawn  emotion  of  modern  passions,  try 
Les  Diables  Noirs,  try  Fernande,  or  Maison  Neuve,  or  Fedora  ;  without  reckon- 
ing those  which  I  can  only  say  are  not  less  interesting,  such  as  La  Perle  Noire^ 
Les  Bourgeois  de  Pantarey  and  Daniel  Bochat. 

On  the  8th  of  February,  1877  (and  a  just  reward  it  was  for  his  honest  labor 
to  sustain  and  perpetuate  the  artistic  glory  of  France),  Yictorien  Sardou  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Academie  Frangaise,  one  of  the  immortal  forty  ! 

When  young,  Sardou  dissected  the  heart  of  man  anatomically.  Later  on, 
towards  1861,  we  find  him  seeking  the  soul  through  spiritualism,  and  that  is 
not  one  of  the  least  curious  means  his  intellect  employed  in  its  quest  of  the 
new  and  the  unknown. 

In  those  days  there  existed  a  Society  of  Spiritualists,  presided  over  by  a 
certain  Bivail,  ex-manager  of  one  of  the  Boulevard  theatres,  christened  Allan- 
Kardoc  "by  a  spirit,"  that  of  a  suicide  probably,  for  in  these  seances  they  chiefly 
invoked  those  who  had  of  their  own  will  passed  unbidden  into  eternity,  such, 
as  Gerard  de  Nerval,  for  instance. 

Sardou  held  a  distinguished  position  amongst  these  adepts,  and  published 
in  his  capacity  of  Medium  a  "  Yoyage  fait  d  ns  la  planete  de  Jupiter." 

Whoever  knows  Sardou,  whoever  has  listened  to  this  inexhaustible  and 
learned  conversationalist,  and — this  above  all — whoever  has  assisted  at  one  of 
his  readings,  where,  Proteus-like,  he  is  the  living  incarnation  of  every  one  of 
his  characters,  from  an  emperor  down  to  the  rough  laborer,  from  an  innocent 
girl  down  to  the  courtesan;  whoever  has  seen  him  under  fire,  leading  the 
battle  with  magnificent  strategy  to  gain  it  for  his  soldiers,  or  has  seen  him  on 
the  stage,  giving,  unaided,  the  living,  breathing  examples  of  the  passions  he 
has  unchained,  being,  by  turn,  ironical  or  tearful,  cruel  or  supplicating,  tender 
or  implacable — whoever  has  seen  this  is  seized  with  the  idea  that  Sardou's 
work  is  made  after  his  own  image,  the  dominant  tone  of  which  is  action.  We 
adduce  "  Theodora"  and  "  Fedora"  in  support  of  our  statement.  Sardou  alone,  in 
all  the  world,  has  been  able  to  plant  us  in  the  tangible,  real,  living  Bizantium 
of  the  ancient  empire.  Shakespeare,  to  whom  we  must  always  look,  when  he 
wished  to  convey  the  idea  of  the  Roman  people,  began  his  Julius  Caesar  with  a 
trivial  conversation  amongst  carpenters  and  cobblers,  very  truthfully  supposing 
that  in  all  ages  humanity  has  always  been  identical  with  itself.  Keeping  this 
in  view,  Sardou  in  his  "Theodora"  has  breathed  life  into  the  nostrils  of  beings 
of  flesh  and  blood,  and  has  not  given  us  mere  abstractions  of  purely  conven- 
tional tragedy.     And  what  success,  what  triumph  ! 

Sardou  sees,  looks  for  and  finds  everywhere  the  type  of  woman  he  needs. 
Until  he  eclipses  himself  "  Theodora"  and  "  Fedora"  must  remain  the  most 
deeply  studied  and  accurately  defined  of  his  creations. 


FEDORA. 


Acte  Premier. 


Nous  nous  trouvons,  au  premier  acte,  a  Saint-Petersbourg,  dans  le  cabinet  de 
travail  du  Capitaine  Yladinn>  Yariskine,  fils  du  nouveau  prefet  de  police  de  Saint- 
Petersbourg. 

Nous  voyons,  au  lever  du  rideau,  le  valet  du  chambre  du  Capitaine  Vladimir,  un 
francais  nomme  Desire,  tres  devoue  a  son  maitre  ;  il  est  en  conference  avec  un  bijou- 
tier  de  Saint-Petersbourg,  Maitre  Echileff.  Celui-ci  a  entendu  parler  d'un  futur 
mariage  entre  le  Capitaine  Vladimir  et  une  grand  dame  dont  on  ne  dit  pas  encore  le 
nom  dans  les  cercles  de  la  haute  societe  russe;  aussi,  le  bijoutier  est-il  a  jiour  attendre 
le  maitre  de  la  maison  et  lui  offrir  ses  services  pour  les  cadeaux  precieux  a  mettre  dans 
la  corbeille  de  mariage.  Mais  Vladimir  ne  rentre  pas,  et  les  heures  s'ecoulent  pen- 
dant que  Desire  et  Echileff  parlent  familierement  de  la  fiancee  inconnue,  de  son 
enorme  fortune  et  de  celle,  non  moins  grande,  de  Vladimir.  La  conversation  s'etend 
sur  tout  ce  qui  se  passe  en  Russie,  sur  la  situation  politique,  les  dangereux  exploits 
des  nibilistes  et  les  craintes  qu'inspirent  au  peuple  et  aux  negociants  les  menaces  de 
ces  conspirateurs  qui  ne  reculent  devantrien  et  qui  out  deja,  tout  recemment,  fait  sauter 
le  Czar  Alexandre  II. 

Vladimir  est,  d'apres  l'avis  general,  plus  menace  que  quieonque  jmisqu'il  est  le 
fils  du  Prefet  de  Police;  mais  il  est  jeune.  fort,  ricbe  et  beau,  et  de  taille  a  se  defendre. 

Le  bijoutier  Echileff,  qui  craint  la  concurrence  des  bijoutiers  juifs  au  sujet  des 
fournitures  a  faire  a  Vladimir  a  l'occasion  de  son  magnifique  mariage,  essaie  de  mettre 
le  valet  de  chambre  Desire  dans  ses  interests,  en  lui  offrant  des  cadeaux  personnels. 

Cependant,  l'heure  continue  a  marcher,  et  Desire  commence  a  etre  inquiet  de 
l'absence  de  son  maitre,  qui  avait  coutume  depuis  quelque  temps  de  rentrer  de  meil- 
leure  heure,  quand  on  annonce  la  Princesse. 

La  Princesse  c'est  Fedora,  Princesse  Poinazoff,  veuve,  fiancee  de  Vladimir.  Pour- 
quoi  vient-elle  chez  lui  a  pareille  heure  ?  Desire  fait  disparaitre  le  bijoutier  et  intro- 
duit  Fedora,  qui  entre  avec  Dimitri,  le  groom  du  capitaine. 

-  Oil  est  Vladimir '?   s'ecrie-t-elle. —  Car  elle  aussi  est  inquiete,  tres  inquiete. 
Les  bruits  politiques  sont  loin  d'etre  rassurants;  elle  attendait  son  fiance  dans  sa  loge, 
■  au  theatre,  et,  ne  l'ayant  pas  vu  de  toute  la  soiree,  elle  n'a  pu  y  tenir  et  est  arcourue 
pour  voir  s'il  n'avait  pas  ete  victime  d'un  accident. 

Ni  Desire  ni  Dimitri  ne  peuvent  la  renseigner.  Le  jeune  capitaine  est  scwti,  a 
son  heure  habituelle,  avec  quelques  amis  pour  aller  diner  au  restaurant  Borrel.  De 
la,  il  devait  aller  au  Theatre  Michel;  il  a  du  oublier  qu'il  avait  donne  rendez-vous  au 
bijoutier,  et  il  est  probable  qu'il  sera  alle  a  son  cercle  Fedora,  qui  se  meurt 
d'angoisse  et  d'impatience,  envoie  au  cercle;  mais  on  n'y  a  pas  vu  le  capitaine.  .  .  . 

En  attendant,  le  temps  s'ecoule  et  Ton  ne  sait  plus  que  penser.  Fedora,  fremis- 
sante,  ne  tarit  pas  en  questions  a  Desire,  s'infortne  des  inoindres  details  du  depart  de 
Vladimir,  envoie  chez  ses  amis,  partout;  mais  personne  n'a  de  nouvelles. 

Enfin,  on  se  met  a  esperer  qu'il  est  alle,  par  ordre,  chez  son  pere,  le  prefet  de 
police,  qui  est  en  ce  moment  hors  de  Saint-Petersbourg,  a  Gratchina,  aupres  de 
rEmpereur. 

Soudain,  un  grand  bruit  retentit,  Fedora  pousse  un  cri  de  joie :   c'est  la   voiture 


FEDORA. 


Act    First. 


The  curtain  rises  on  the  study  of  Captain  Vladimir  Jariskine,  son  of  the  new 
Prefect  of  Police  at  St.  Petersburg.  The  Captains  valet,  a  Frenchman  named  Desire, 
devoted  to  his  master,  is  in  conference  with  a  Jeweller  of  St.  Petersburg,  Eschileff  by 
name,  who,  having  heard  of  a  future  marriage  between  Captain  Vladimir  and  a  lady  of 
the  highest  social  position  in  Russia,  whose  name  is  not  yet  known,  has  come  to  wait 
for  the  master  of  the  house  in  order  to  offer  his  services  for  the  manufacture  of  the 
costly  bridal  gifts.  But  Vladimir  does  not  come  in.  The  time  goes  by  whilst  Desire 
and  Eschileff  chat  familiarly  about  the  unknown  fiancee  and  of  her  enormous  fortune 
which  equals  that  of  Vladimir.  The  conversation  rolls  on  everything  Russian,  the 
political  situation,  the  dangerous  exploits  of  the  nihilists,  the  fear  which  the  menaces 
of  these  conspirators  inspire  in  the  people  and  among  businessmen,  and  of  the  late 
successful  attempt  to  blow  up  the  Czar,  Alexander  EL 

Vladimir  is,  according  to  general  opinion,  more  in  danger  than  any  one  else, 
since  he  is  the  son  of  the  Prefect  of  Police,  but  he  is  young,  strong,  rich  and  hand- 
some and  perfectly  able  to  take  care  of  himself. 

The  Jeweller  Eschileff,  who  fears  the  competition  of  the  Jews  in  the  furnishing  of 
the  marriage  presents  for  Vladimir  on  the  occassion  of  his  sumptuous  marriage,  tries 
to  win  the  valet  Desire  over  to  his  side  by  offering  him  presents. 

Time  flies,  and  Desire  commences  to  ba  anxious  about  his  masters'  continued 
absence,  especially  as  the  latter  has  taken  the  habit  of  late  of  coming  home  early  when 
the  Princess  is  announced. 

The  Princess  is  Fedora,  Princess  Romagoff,  a  widow  and  betrothed  to  Vladimir. 
But  why  does  she  come  to  see  him  at  such  an  hour  ? 

Desire  pushes  the  jeweller  out  and  shows  in  Fedora,  who  enters  followed  by 
Dimitri,  the  captain's  groom. 

"  Where  is  Vladimir  ?  "  she  cries,  — for  she  too,  is  anxious,  very  anxious.  The 
flying  political  rumors  are  far  from  being  reassuring.  She  had  been  waiting  for  him 
all  the  evening  in  her  box  at  the  opera.  He  had  not  come  and  her  anxiety  becoming- 
unbearable,  she  has  hastened  to  his  rooms  to  see  whether  he  has  not  become  the 
victim  of  some  accident. 

Neither  Desire  nor  Dimitri  are  able  to  reassure  her.  The  young  captain  had  gone 
out  at  his  usual  hour  with  some  of  his  Mends  to  dine  at  Boirel's.  Thence  he  was  to  go 
to  the  opera.  He  had  probably  forgotten  that  he  had  made  an  appointment  with  the 
jeweller  and  possibly  had  gone  to  his  club.  Fedora  who  his  trembling  with  fear  and 
anxiety  sends  immediately  to  the  club.     The  captain  has  not  been  there — 

An  hour  passes  and  an  undefined  fear  grows  in  every  one's  heart.  Fedora  is  half 
mad  with  anxiety  and  plies  Desire  with  questions  as  to  the  exact  time  the  captain  went 
out,  where  he  was  going  and  what  he  said  ;  she  sends  to  all  his  friends  everywhere, 
but  no  one  has  seen  Vladimir.  Lastly  they  all  commence  to  hope  that  he  has  gone 
by  order  of  his  father,  the  Prefect  of  Police,  to  meet  the  latter  at  Gatchina  at  the 
Emperor's  residence. 

Suddenly  a  noise  is  heard.  Fedora  utters  a  cry  of  jov.  It  is  Vladimir's  carnage. 
The  terrible  presentiments  of  the  evening  vanish  !     He  is  coming  home !    He  is  here .' 


8  FEDORA. 

de  "Vladimir  que  rentre  !  .  .  .  Les  pressentiments  terribles  qu'elle  avait  depuis  le  com- 
mencement de  la  soiree  s'evanouissent ;  il  rentre  enfin,  elle  va  le  voir ! 

Helas!  Ce  n'est  pas  Vladimir  qu'elle  voit  apparaitre.  C'est  un  officier  de  police 
qui  fait  son  entree,  suivi  de  deux  de  ses  agents  et  d'un  gentleman,  M.  de  Siriex, 
secretaire  de  l'ambassade  de  France. 

lis  annoncent  qu'ils  ramenent  Vladimir  tres  dangereusement  blesse  et  qu'ils  ont 
mande  des  medecins  en  toute  hate,  car  le  cas  est  grave.  Us  slnforment  de  la  person- 
nalite  de  Fedora  et  prennent  des  precautions  avant  de  lui  apprendre  la  fatale  verite  ; 
on  a  transports  le  blesse  dans  sa  chambre,  qui  est  au  fond  de  la  scene,  mais  on  n'en 
laisse  approcher  personne. 

Les  medecins  arrivent ;  au  milieu  des  anxietes  de  Fedora  et  sous  l'oeil  de  l'officier 
de  police,  ils  examiuent  la  blessure,  reconnaissent  qu'elle  provient  d'une  balle  de 
revolver  et  declarent  la  situation  extremement  grave.  lis  interdisent  a  tout  le  monde 
l'acces  de  la  chambre,  envoient  querir  leurs  trousses  et  des  remedes  et  s'enferment 
avec  le  blesse. 

Restee  seule  avec  les  homines  de  police  et  les  deux  serviteurs  Desire  et  Dimitri, 
Fedora  fait  commencer  l'enquete  sur  le  crime. 

M.  de  Siriex  et  le  cocher  de  Vladimir  sont  d'accord  sur  leurs  declarations,  mais 
ils  ne  savent  pas  grand'  chose  qui  puisse  eclairer  les  magistrats.  Vladimir  s'est  fait 
conduire  dans  un  quartier  eloigne  et  est  descendu  dans  une  maison  isolee  au-miheu 
de  vastes  jardins  abandonnes,  ou  se  trouvait  etabli  un  tir.  On  ignore  a  qui  appartient 
la  maison  ;  elle  a  ete  louee  j)ar  une  femme  inconnue,  assez  agee.  A  peine  Vladimir 
est-il  entre  seul  dans  cette  maison,  que  deux  coups  de  feu  se  sont  fait  entendre  ;  deux 
coups  tenement  rapproches  que  le  cocher  a  meme  cru,  tout  d'abord,  qu'il  n'y  en  avait 
eu  qu'un.  Au  meme  instant,  un  homme,  qu'on  n'a  pas  reconnu,  est  sorti  de  la 
maison  et  a  pu  disparaitre  rapidement  en  dejouant  toutes  les  poursuites. 

Evidemment,  cela  ne  suffit  pas  pour  faire  avancer  l'enquete;  les  preuves  manquent, 
et  on  en  est  reduit  a  des  conjectures.  Tout  ce  qui  semble  etre  absolument  clair  a  tout 
le  monde,  c'est  que  le  crime  a  ete  commis  par  les  nihilistes,  par  vengeance  politique. 

Mais  volla  que,  tout  a  coup,  un  incident  nouveau  vient  jeter  un  peu  de  lumiere 
sur  tout  ce  mystere.  Un  domestique  se  rappello  qu'une  femme  agee  est  venue  apporter 
une  letti-e  a  Vladimir,  avant  l'heure  du  diner,  et  positivement  Vladimir  a  mis  cette 
lettre  dans  le  tiroir  de  sa  table  a  ecrire.  Surement,  cette  lettre  donnait  un  rendez- 
vous au  capitaine,  et  ce  rendez-vous  etait  celui  du  guet  a  pens  ou  on  l'attendait  et  ou 
il  a  succombe. 

Mais  c'est  en  vain  qu'on  fouille  dans  le  tiroir,  la  lettre  n'y  est  plus. 

Comment  a-t-elle  disparu  ?  Qui  l'a  volee  ?  Certainement  le  capitaine  ne  l'a  pas 
reprise  :  il  s'est  leve  et  est  sorti  en  voiture  aussitot  apres  l'avoir  jetee  dans  le  tiroir. 

—  Toute  cette  enquete,  parfois  interrompue  paries  allees  et  venues  des  medecins 
et  de  ceux  qui  les  servent,  est  aussi  saisissante  que  terrible  par  le  naturel  emouvant 
de  la  mise  en  scene.  —  Le  capitaine  meurt  sans  pouvoir  prononcer  une  parole,  au 
milieu  des  pleurs  dechirants  et  du  desespoir  profond  de  sa  fiancee,  des  regrets  de  ses 
domestiques  et  de  la  profonde  emotion  de  tous  les  assistants,  M.  de  Siriex  et  les 
hommes  de  j)olice. 

On  croirait  alors  qu'il  n'y  a  plus  qu'a  en  rester  la  et  a  attendre  que  la  justice  suive 
son  cours,  en  recherchant  l'homme  qu'on  a  vu  s'enfuir  de  la  petite  maison  du  tir  au 
pistolet  et  la  vieille  femme  qui  a  loue  cette  maison  et  qui  est  probablement  la  meme 
qui  a  apporte  une  lettre  au  capitaine 

Mais  alors,  sous  de  pressantes  interrogations  du  chef  de  police,  un  domestique  se 
souvient  tout  a  coup  d'un  evenement  que,   dans  son  trouble,  il  avait  completemeiit 


FEDOKA.  9 

Alas !  it  is  not  Vladimir  she  sees  enter.     It  is  a  police  officer  who  appears 

followed  by  two  of  his  subordinates  and  by  a  gentleman,  M.  de  Siriex,  secretary  of  the 
French  legation.  They  announce  that  they  are  bringing  Vladimir  home  dangerously 
wounded,  and  that  they  have  sent  in  all  haste  for  the  fLst  physicians  in  the  city,  as  the 
case  is  serious.  They  inquire  as  to  who  Fedora  is,  and  take  great  precautions  in 
breaking  the  terrible  news  to  her.  They  have  transported  the  wounded  man  to  his 
room  which  is  at  centre  of  stage  back,  but  no  one  is  allowed  to  approach. 

The  doctors  arrive,  in  the  midst  of  great  excitement  on  Fedora's  pa*  t,  and  under 
the  supervision  of  the  officer  the  wound  is  examined  and  is  recognized  as  being  the 
result  of  a  pistol  shot.  The  situation  is  declared  serious.  The  doctors  shut  everybody 
oat  of  the  room,  send  for  their  instruments  and  medicine  and  lock  themselves  in  with 
the  patient. 

Left  alone  with  the  policemen,  Desire  and  Dimitri,  Fedora  forces  them  to  begin 
an  inquiry  into  the  crime. 

M.  de  Siriex  and  Vladimir's  coachman  agree  in  declaring  that  they  know  little 
to  enlighten  justice.  Vladimir  had  ordered  himself  driven  to  a  far  off  quarter  and 
had  alighted  before  the  door  of  a  house  surrounded  by  vast  but  deserted  gardens 
wherein  was  situated  a  shooting-gallery.  They  neither  of  them  know  to  whom  the 
house  belongs.  It  is  let  by  an  unknown  woman  past  middle  age.  Hardly  had 
Vladimir  gone  into  this  house,  alone,  when  two  shots  were  heard,  so  near  together 
that  the  coachman  first  thought  that  there  was  but  one.  At  the  same  instant  a  man 
who  was  not  recognized  left  the  house  hurriedly  and  had  been  able  to  baffle  all 
pursuit. 

Evidently,  this  is  not  enough  to  help  along  the  search.  Proof  is  wanting  and 
they  are  reduced  to  conjectures.  What  seems,  howrever,  perfectly  clear  to  every  one 
is,  that  the  crime  was  committed  by  the  nihilists  for  political  revenge. 

But  suddenly  an  incident  happens  which  throws  some  light  on  all  this  mystery. 
One  of  the  servants  remembers  that  a  woman  past  middle  age  came  to  bring  a  letter 
for  Vladimir-  before  dinner  and  that  Vladimir  positively  put  this  letter  in  the  drawer 
of  his  study-table.  This  letter  must  certainly  have  appointed  a  meeting-place  and 
this  rendez-vous  proved  to  be  the  ambush  where  he  met  his  death. 

In  vain  they  search  the  drawer.     The  letter  is  not  there. 

How  has  it  disappeared?  Who  has  stolen  it?  Certainly  the  captain  did  not  take 
it  out  of  the  drawer  again.  He  rose  from  his  chair,  went  out  and  was  driven  away  in 
his  carriage  immediately  after  having  thrown  it  into  the  drawer. 

All  this  inquiry,  occasionally  interrupted  by  the  coming  and  going  of  the  doctors 
and  their  assistants,  is  as  striking  as  it  is  terrible  on  account  of  the  natural  emotion 
of  all  concern. 

The  captain  dies  without  being  able  to  speak  a  word  in  the  midst  of  sobs,  and  the 
heart-rending  despair  of  his  fiancee,  the  regret  of  his  servants  and  the  jirofound 
emotion  of  all  jn'esent  including  M.  de  Siriex  and  the  police. 

It  was  thought  that  the  affair  would  have  to  stop  here,  to  allow  justice  to  follow 
its  course  by  hunting  out  the  man  who  escaped  through  the  shooting-gallery  and  the 
woman  who  had  hired  the  house  and  who  was  probably  the  person  who  had  brought 
the  letter  to  the  captain. 

But  under  the  close  questioning  of  the  chief  of  police  a  servant  suddenly  remem- 
bers an  event  which,  in  his  excitement,  he  had  completely  forgotten.  He  tells  how, 
after  the  departure  of  hi,  master,  a  young  man  called  and  asked  for  Vladiinir;  that  he 
went  into  the  study  and,  saying  that  he  was  on9  of  Vladimir's  friends,  was  about  to 
leave  him  a  note,  that  he  approached  the  writing  table,  but  suddenly  changed  hia 


10  FEDORA. 

oublie.  II  raconte  que,  apres  le  depart  tie  son  ruaitre,  un  jeune  homme  s'est  presente 
pour  lui  parler;  qu'il  est  entre  dans  ce  cabinet  de  travail  et  que,  affirmant  etre  l'arni 
de  Wladimir,  il  a  desire  lui  laisser  un  mot  d'ecrit ;  q'uil  s'est  approcbe  de  la  table  u- 
ecrire,  mais  qu'il  s'est  aussitot  ravise  en  disant:  "Bon!  c'est  inutile  ;  je  lui  dirai  rnoi- 
raenie  de  vive  voix  ce  qui  m'ameriait."  Et  il  est  alors  reparti.  —  Surement,  cet  in= 
connu  est  le  voleur  de  la  lettre  de  la  vieille  femme. 

Mais  quel  est  cet  inconnu?  —  Le  jeune  domestique,  presse  de  questions,  se  rap- 
pelle  l'avoir  deja  vu  une  fois,  mais  il  ne  se  souvient  pas  de  son  nom. 

Tout  le  monde  se  met  alors  a  l'aider  dans  ses  souvenirs,  et,  chacun  lui  disant  les 
divers  norns  des  bommes  qui  ont  pu,  depuis  quelque  temps,  se  presenter  a  l'bctel  de 
"Wladimir,  il  finit  par  declarer  que  ce  visiteur  de  la  nuit  s'appelle  Loris  Ipanoff. 

Loris  Ipanoff!  —  Mais  c'est  un  jeune  seigneur  extremement  ricbe,  dont  per. 
sonne  n'a  jamais  rien  clit.  II  est  vrai  que  le  vol  n'a  pas  ete  le  mobile  de  l'assassinat, 
mais  il  peut  y  avoir  mille  autres  raisons.  II  ne  connait  pas  la  Princesse  Fedora,  la 
fiancee  de  Vladimir,  ce  n'est  done  pas  non  plus  une  vengeance  d'amoureux  ;  mais 
enfin,  il  n'y  a  pas  de  doutes  a  avoir.  C'est  lui  qui  a  vole  la  lettre,  c'est  lui  qui  a  tue 
l'infortune  capitaine. 

Loris  Ipanoff  n'etait  pas  l'ami  de  Vladimir  ;  ils  ne  vivaient  pas  dans  le  meme 
monde,  ils  ne  frequentaient  pas  la  meme  societe.  Vladiniir  etait  un  viveur,  un  gentil- 
homme  de  bruit  et  de  tapage,  tandisque  Loris  Ipanoff  passe  pour  etre  un  jeune 
seigneur  sage,  serieux  et  travailleur  ;  mais  qu'importe  ?  C'est  meme  une  raison,  une 
preuve  de  plus.  Loris  Ipanoff  est  un  nihiliste;  il  a  servi  d'instrument  a  ces  conspira- 
teurs  qui  essaient  sans  cesse  de  soulever  la  Russie.  II  est  tres  ricbe,  mais  les  nibilistes 
comptent  dans  leurs  rangs  de  grands  noms  et  de  grandes  fortunes.  D'apres  une 
pbrase  celebre,  citee  d'ailleurs  dans  la  premiere  scene  de  cet  acte  entre  Desire  et 
Ecbileff :  "  H  y  a  des  nibilistes  meme  a  la  table  du  Czar." 

On  se  souvient  aussi,  a  ce  moment,  d'une  lettre  adretsee  il  y  a  buit  jours  a  Ma- 
dimir,  dont  le  pere  venait  d'etre  nomine  prefet  de  police  et  se  signalait  deja  par  des 
mesures  de  rigueur.  Cette  lettre,  comme  le  dit  Desire,  etait  ainsi  concue:  "Si  votre 
pere  continue  a  nous  persecuter  de  la  sorte,  il  prepare  pour  vous  une  mort  violente." 

Plus  de  doute  !  Le  crime  est  l'ceuvre  des  nibilistes  ;  Loris  Ipanoff  est  nibiliste, 
et  c'est  lui  qui  est  l'assassin  du  capitaine. 

Fedora,  dont  la  mort  de  son  fiance,  loin  d'abattre  son  courage,  a  surexcite  auplus 
haut  point  le  desespoir  amoareux  et  le  dtsir  acbarne  de  vengeance,  bonlit  de  colere 
et  de  joie  en  pensant  que  le  crime  ne  va  pas  rester  impuni ;  elle  fait  passer  dans 
l'ame  de  tous  ceux  qui  l'entourent  sa  fievre  et  son  indignation,  et  c'est  a  qui,  sous  son 
inspiration,  ira  le  premier  arreter  le  criminel. 

Loris  Ipanoff  babite  precisement  en  face  de  la  maison  de  Vladimir,  an  second 
etage;  on  y  court,  tandis  que  quelques-uns  retiennent  Fedora  qui  voudrait  aller  l'ar- 
reter  elle-meme  et  }3eut-etre  se  venger  de  ses  propres  mains. 

Anxieuse,  regardant  a  la  fenetre  qui  donne  sur  eelles  de  Loris,  elle  attend !  .  . 

Mais  les  bommes  de  police  ne  trouvent  pas  Loris  cbez  lui ;  il  vient  de  s'ecbapper 
....  II  avait  done  pre-vu  son  arrestation ...  C'etait  done  bien  lui  l'assassin !  Et  Fe- 
dora, desesperee,  folle,  ne  se  connaissant  plus,  va  se  jeter  au  cou  de  Vladimir,  embras- 
sant  avec  fureur  son  cadavre  et  s'abimant  dans  son  immense  douleur. 

RlDEAU. 


FEDORA.  11 

mind  saying:  "After  all,  it  is  hardly  necessary,  I  will  tell  him  myself  what  brought 
me."  He  then  left.  This  unknown  individual  was  certainly  the  thief  of  the  letter 
that  the  old  woman  had  brought.  Who  wa.s  this  young  man  ?  The  servant,  plyed 
with  questions,  remembers  having  seen  him  once  before,  but  does  not  remember 
his  name. 

Each  one  suggests  every  name  he  cau  think  of  and  in  his  way  all  the  names  are 
passed  in  review  of  the  men  who  are  in  the  habit  of  calling  at  Vladimir's  residence. 
The  servant  finally  declares  that  the  visitor  in  question  is  Loris  Ipanoff. 

Loris  Ipanoff!  Can  this  be?  The  gentleman  in  question  is  a  nobleman  extremely 
rich,  of  whom  no  one  has  ever  breathed  anything  wrong.  It  is  true  that  theft  was  not 
the  motive  of  the  assassination,  but  there  might  have  been  a  thousand  other  motives. 
He  does  not  know  the  Princess  Fedora,  Vladimir's  fiancee;  therefore  jealousy  is  not 
the  cause,  biit  the  deduction  is  irresistable :  he  stole  the  letter,  he  must  have  shot  the 
unfortunate  captain. 

Loris  Ipanoff  was  not  an  intimate  friend  of  Vladimir's  ;  they  did  not  live  in  the 
same  world,  nor  did  they  frequent  the  same  society.  Vladimir  was  a  man  about  town, 
a  high  liver  and  rather  astentatious  in  his  habits,  whilst  Loris  Ipanoff  was  known  as  a 
young  man  of  serious  disposition  and  as  a  hard  worker  in  literary  pursuits.  But  what 
does  this  matter?  It  is  even  a  further  proof.  Loris  Ipanoff  is  a  nihilist;  he  has  served 
as  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  those  conspirators  who  are  ceaselessly  trying  to  exite  revolt 
in  Russia.  He  is  very  rich,  but  the  nihilists  count  in  their  ranks  both  great  names  and 
greath  fortunes.  According  to  the  notable  sentence  cited  in  the  first  scene  between 
Desire  and  Eschileff :  "  There  are  nihilists  even  at  the  table  of  the  Czar !  " 

It  was  remembered  by  several  present  that  a  week  before  Vladimir,  whose  father 
had  just  been  appointed  Prefect  of  Police,  had  received  a  letter  referring  to  the  strict 
measures  adopted  by  the  police.  This  letter,  as  Desire  testified,  ran  as  follows:  "If 
your  father  continues  persecution  of  this  description  he  will  prepare  for  you  a  violent 
death  !  "  Not  an  atom  of  doubt !  The  crime  is  the  work  of  nihilists :  Loris  Ipanoff  is 
a  nihilist.     He  is  without  doubt  the  assassin. 

Fedora  whom  the  death  of  her  lover  has  not  only  not  discouraged,  but  in  whom 
despair  has  lighted  a  passionate  desire  for  revenge,  first  thrills  with  hatred,  then  starts 
with  joy  to  think  that  at  least  this  great  crime  will  not  go  unpunished. 

Her  feverish  indignation  is  communicated  to  all  present,  and  each  one  is  more 
eager  than  his  neighbor  to  be  the  first  to  cause  the  arrest  of  the  criminal. 

Loris  Ipanoff  lives  exactly  opposite  Vladimir's  residence  and  occupies  the  whole 
second  floor  of  the  house.  All  make  a  dash  acrose  the  street,  except  a  few  who 
restrain  Fedora,  who  asks  nothing  better  than  to  make  the  arrest  herself  and  perhaps 
avenge  her  lover  wirth  her  own  hands. 

Anxious,  breathless,  she  gazes  out  of  the  window,  which  faces  Loris'  apartments 
and  awaits  the  result 

The  police  find  that  Loris  is  not  at  home  ;  he  has  fled ! .  . . .  He  f orsaw  then  his 
arrest.     It  is  he  !    He  is  the  assassin ! 

And  Fedora,  mad  with  despair,  no  larger  able  to  restain  herself,  throws  herself  on 
Vladimir's  body,  kisses  his  cold  face  and  faints. 

Curtain. 


12  FEDOBA. 


Acte    Deuxikmk. 


L'action  se  passe  maintenant  a  Paris,  fort  peu  de  temps  apres  ces  terribles  evene- 
ments  qui  ont  fait  tant  de  sensation  a  Saint-Petersbourg.  La  Eussie  est  toujours 
dans  la  menie  situation  ;  en  proie  aux  machinations  des  nihilistes  et  surtout  a  la  ter- 
reur  qu'elles  lui  inspirent,  le  gouvernement  du  Czar  se  voit  force,  pour  essayer  d'assu- 
rer  la  securite  de  son  Empire  trop  vaste,  d'envoyer  et  d'entretenir  partout  des  espions 
qui  le  renseignent  et  qui,  au  besoin,  se  font  les  instruments  des  vengeances  privees, 
sans  reculer  devant  des  actes  que  ne  permet  la  justice  d'aucun  pays.  Pour  les  delits 
et  meme  les  crimes  politiques,  toutes  les  nations  accordent  le  droit  d'asile  aux  etran- 
gers  ;  aussi,  les  sicaires  de  la  police  russe  sont-ils  forces  quelquefois,  en  France,  en 
Suisse,  en  Allemagne,  de  recourir  au  rapt,  a  l'enlevement,  meme  a  l'assassinat  des 
nihi!istes,  contre  lesquels  aucun  pays  civilise  n'accorderait  l'extradition. 

Cette  courte  explication  est  necessaire  avant  d'aller  plus  loin  dans  l'expose  de 
cette  piece,  qui  est  le  chef  d'ceuvre  de  Sardou  dans  le  genre  du  drame  moderne. 

C'est,  en  effet,  chez  une  nihiliste  que  nous  nous  trouvons,  a  cette  heure,  a  Paris. 
Une  nihiliste  ardente  et  convaincue,  cette  Comtesse  Olga  Soukaroff  qui  a  une  immense 
fortune,  qui  possede  un  hotel  luxueux  a  Paris,  et  qui  y  reyoit  tous  les  Busses  rebelles 
ou  mecontents,  tous  les  condamnes,  les  echappes  des  mines  et  des  bagnes  de  Siberie, 
en  un  mot  tous  les  hommes  politiques  vaincus  qui  revent  1'affranchissement  de  leurs 
concitoyens  et  la  liberte  de  leur  patrie. 

Au  lever  du  rideau,  nous  nous  trouvons  done  chez  la  Comtesse  Olga  Soukaroff,  et 
nous  y  retrouvons  Bouvel  et  l'ancien  attache  de  l'ambassade  de  France  a  Saint-Peters- 
bourg,  M.  de  Siriex. 

Siriex  raconte  qu'il  a  quitte  son  poste  pour  rentrer  a  Paris  comme  Secretaire  du 
Ministre  des  Affaires  etraDgeres.  Depuis  trois  mois  qu'il  a  quitte  la  Eussie,  il  est 
sans  nouvelles  ni  renseignements,  et  il  en  demande.  Eouvel  lui  repond,  et  la  conver- 
sation tombe  sur  la  Comtesse  Olga  Soukaroff,  sur  ce  qu'elle  fait  et  sur  le  monde 
qu'elle  recoit. 

La  comtesse  passe  pour  etre  une  blasee,  qui  recherche  dans  l'excentricite  et  la 
politique  des  plaisirs  et  des  sensations  qu'elle  ne  trouvait  pas  ailleurs.  En  ce 
moment,  elle  est  notamment  occupee  de  lancer  et  de  presenter  aux  Parisiens  un 
jeune  pianiste  de  genie,  un  nihiliste.  Elle  se  prend  au  serieux  comme  femme  poli- 
tique, mais  ce  ne  peut  etre  bien  reel,  d'apres  ce  que  dit  Eouvel.  C'est  une  femme 
eharrnante,  un  peu  toquee,  ct  voila  tout.  Pour  le  moment,  sa  maison  est  tres  agre- 
able,  elle  recoit  brillamment  tous  les  mercredis,  et  sa  j>assion  actuelle  est  le  pianiste 
en  question,  le  maiheureux  proscrit  Boleslas  Lasinski,  nihiliste  et  polonais. 

Quand  la  Comtesse  Olga  entre  en  scene,  elle  se  rejouit  de  reToir  sa  vieille  et 
bonne  connaissance  M.  de  Siriex,  et  la  conversation  devient  tout  d'abord  plus  inte- 
ressante,  puisque  Ton  va  y  apprendre  des  nouvelles  de  Fedora,  aussitot  apres 
qu'Olga  aura  fait  la  presentation  et  le  magnifique  panegyrique  de  son  pianiste  adore. 

Loris  Ipanoff,  qtii  se  trouve  a  Paris  et  qui  est  le  cousin  de  la  Comtesse  Olga, 
ne  manque  aucune  des  receptions  de  son  aimable  cousine.  B  s'y  trouve  done,  ce 
soir-L"i.  A  son  nom,  M.  de  Siriex  s'etonne  et  demande  si  c'est  bien  le  Loris  Ipanoff 
qui  a  ete  accuse  du  meurtre  commis  a  Saint-Petersbourg  sur  le  fiance  de  Fedort. 


FEEORA.  13 


Act  Second. 


The  scene  is  now  changed  to  Paris,  a  short  time  after  the  terrible  events  which 
have  made  such  a  sensation  at  St.  Petersburg-.  Russia  is  still  a  prey  to  the  machina- 
tions of  the  nihilists,  and  especially  to  the  terror  which  they  inspire.  The  Czar's 
government,  trying  to  insure  the  security  of  this  most  unwieldy  empire  sees  itself  forced 
to  send  out  and  support  everywhere,  spies,  who  keep  it  posted  and  who,  in  case  of 
need,  become  the  instruments  of  private  revenge,  and  who  do  not  hesitate  to  commit 
acts  contrary  to  the  law  of  any  country.  For  political  misdemeanors  and  even  crimes, 
all  nations  accord  a  right  of  asylum  to  foreigners;  therefore  the  Russian  agents  are 
sometimes  forced  in  France,  Switzerland  and  Germany  to  have  recourse  to  abduction, 
to  secret  seizure  and  even  to  the  assassination  of  nihilists,  as  no  civilized  country 
would  accede  to  a  demand  for  their  extradition. 

This  short  explanation  is  necessary  before  going  further  into  the  plot  of  this  play 
which  is  Sardou's  master-piece  in  the  style  of  the  modern  drarua. 

It  is  in  fact  at  the  bouse  of  a  nihilist  in  Paris  that  the  scene  is  now  laid.  The 
Countess  Olga  Soukaroff  is  an  ardent  and  sincere  nihilist  who  has  an  immense  fortune, 
possesses  a  luxuriant  residence  in  Paris,  and  who  receives  therein  all  the  Russian 
rebels  and  malcontents,  all  convicts  escaped  from  the  mines  and  prisons  of  Siberia — 
in  a  word,  all  the  political  schemers  who  dream  of  enfranchisement  of  their  fellow- 
citizens  and  the  liberty  of  their  country. 

The  rising  of  the  curtain  discloses  the  Countess  Olga's  apartments,  M.  Rouvel 
and  the  former  attache  of  the  French  Legation  at  St.  Petersburg,  M.  de  Siriex.  Siriex 
tells  how  he  has  left  his  former  post  to  return  to  Paris  as  secretary  to  the  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs. 

During  the  three  months  that  have  passed  since  he  left  Russia  he  is  without  news 
or  information  of  any  sort  and  he  questions  Rorwel  closely.  The  conversation  turns 
on  the  Countess  Olga  Soukaroff,  on  what  she  is  doing  and  the  people  she  receives.  The 
Countess  passes  for  a  woman  of  the  world  worn  out  with  its  pleasures,  who  seeks  in 
eccentricities  of  all  sorts  and  in  politics  the  pleasures  and  sensations  that  she  would 
not  find  otherwise.  At  the  present  moment  she  is  notably  occupied  in  introducing 
to  the  Parisians  a  young  pianist  of  genius,  a  nihilist  and  a  Pole.  She  really  believes 
herself  to  be  a  factor  in  jDolitics  but  she  is  not  very  redoubtable  Rouvel  tells  him. 
She  is  a  charming  woman,  a  little  odd  and  that  is  all.  For  the  rest,  the  house  is  a 
very  agreeable  one,  she  receives  brilliantly  every  Wednesday  and  her  passion  is  for 
the  present  the  poor,  proscribed  pianist. 

Boleslas  Lasinski,  nihilist  and  a  Pole. 

The  Countess  enters  and  is  happy  to  see  again  her  old  and  good  Mend  M.  de 
Siriex,  and  after  having  introduced  and  eulogized  her  favorite  pianist,  the  conversation 
turns  on  Fedora. 

Loris  Ipanoff,  who  is  in  Paris  and  who  is  cousin  of  the  Countess  Olga,  never  misses 
a  single  reception  of  his  charming  cousin.     He  therefore  is  here  this  evening. 

At  the  mention  of  his  name,  M.  de  Siriex  in  astonishment  asks  if  it  is  possible 
that  it  is  the  same  Loris  Ipanoff  who  has  been  accused  of  the  murder  of  Fedora's  fiancee 
at  St.  Petersburg. 


14  FEDORA. 

Mais  personne  ne  sait  ce  que  veut  dire  Siriex,  et  c'est  avec  un  ensemble  complet 
qu'Olga,  Rouvel  et  autres  lui  disent  que  Loris  Ipanoff  est  le  plus  charmant  homme 
qu'il  y  ait  au  monde. 

La  Comtesse  Olga  raconte  alors  une  cliarmante  excursion  qu'elle  a  faite,  la  veille, 
sur  la  Seine,  de  Paris  a  Maisons-Laffitte,  sur  le  yacht  do  la  Princesse  Fedora. 

On  dit  a  Siriex  que,  en  effet,  la  Princesse  Fedora  est  a  Paris,  qu'elle  a  quitte 
Saint  Petersbourg  depuis  deux  mois,  et  Loris  confirme  cette  nouvelle.  Siriex  tombe 
d'etonnements  en  etonnements  en  voyant  que  Loris  parle  de  Fedora  aussi  tranquille- 
ment  que  si  rien  ne  s'etait  passe,  et  en  apprenant  que  Fedora  se  trouve  en  France  par 
ordre  du  gouvernement  russe  avec  lequel  elle  est  au  plus  mal. 

La  stupefaction  de  Siriex  redouble  en  apprenant  que  Loris  faisait  partie  de  1' ex- 
cursion de  la  veille,  sur  le  yacht  de  Fedora,  et  que  cette  derniere  n'a  jamais  parle  a 
son  amie  Olga  du  malheur  qui  lui  etait  si  recemment  arrive  en  Russie,  la  mort  de  son 
fiance.  II  est  vrai  que  rien  n'est  etonnant  dans  la  conduite  mysterieuse  d'une  femme 
comme  Fedora,  car  elle  descend  en  droite  ligue  des  Cantacuzene,  ces  terribles  empe- 
reurs  d'orient  qui  regnerent  si  longtemps  a  Constantinople.  Elle  porte  meme  a  son 
doigt  leur  anneau  imperial,  et  elle  a  parfois  la  cruaute  de  ses  ancetres  ;  la  veille  encore, 
pendant  1'excursion  sur  la  Seine  a  bord  de  son  yacht,  elle  a  fait  jeter  a  l'eau  un  matelot 
qui  lui  avait  desobei. 

Siriex,  pour  avoir  le  coeur  net  de  tout  ce  mystere  qui  l'environne,  critique  un  peu 
Fedora  et  sa  conduite,  met  en  doute  la  sincerite  de  ses  actes  et  nie  qu'elle  soit  une 
nihiliste  expulsee  de  Russie.  Loris  defend  chaudement  Fedora  et  ne  parait  nullement 
emu  quand  Siriex,  a  bout  d'arguments,  met  enfin  la  conversation  sur  l'assassinat  de 
Vladimir  Yariskine. 

Siriex  s'avoue  que  toute  sa  diplomatic  est  battue  par  l'habilete  des  gens  qui 
l'entourent,  et  il  se  promet  d'essayer  enfin  de  savoir  la  verite  aupres  de  la  Princesse 
Fedora  elle-meme,  dont  on  annonce  la  prochaine  arrivee  a  la  soirte  d'Olga. 

Apres  quelques  theories  de  cette  derniere  sur  le  charme  qu'il  y  a  a  aimer  un  con- 
spirateur,  un  criminel  pohtique,  comme  Test  son  juaniste  Boleslas,  en  se  disant 
toujours  q'une  tete  si  chere  peut  tomber  le  lendemain,  la  Princesse  Fedora  fait  son 
entree  dans  les  salons  de  la  Comtesse. 

Des  qu'elle  peut  se  debarrasser  les  autres  personnages,  Fedora  se  trouve  seule 
avec  Siriex. 

Elle  lui  confesse  qu'elle  poursuit  toujours  sa  vengeance,  qu'elle  n'est  a  Paris  que 
dans  ce  but,  qu'elle  a  des  hommes  de  la  police  russe  a  ses  ordres,  et  qu'elle  est  tou- 
jours convaincue  que  c'est  Loris  qui  a  tue  Vladimir.  II  ne  le  lui  a  pas  dit,  cependant; 
mais  tout  le  fait  supposer.  Quant  a  elle,  elle  n'a  rien  dit  :  c'est  en  n'eveillant  aucun 
soupcon  sur  ses  intentions  qu'elle  pourra  arriver  a  venger  son  fiance.  Leurs  projets 
de  mariage  n'etaient  pas  encore  publics  ;  aussi,  quand,  apres  son  crime,  Loris  a  reussi 
a  quitter  la  Russie  sans  delai  en  depistant  toutes  les  poursuites,  il  ne  savait  rien  con- 
cernant  Fedora  et  Vladimir  ;  rien  done  ne  devait  lui  faire  prendre  garde  a  elle.  Us 
ont  ainsi  pu  faire  connaissance,  et  leur  intimite  a  promptement  marche. 

C'est  a  ce  point  que  Loris  est  devenu  profondement  amoureux  de  Fedora,  qu'il 
croit  proscrite  et  persecutee  comme  lui-meme.  II  est  tres  riche,  elle  aussi  ;  par  con- 
sequent il  est  sincere.  Fedora  n'attend  plus  qu'une  occasion  tres  prochaine  pour  pro- 
filer de  cet  amour  et  lui  faire  confesser  son  crime.  S'il  ne  l'a  pas  commis,  elle  le 
quittera  et  l'oubliera  pour  aller  sur  une  autre  piste,  car  elle  ne  saurait  jamais  renoncer 
a  venger  Vladimir.     S'il  est  coupable,  elle  le  livrera  sans  pitie. 

Mais  le  temps  et  le  charme  de  Loris  ont  deja  commence  leur  ceuvre;  Fedora  se 
plait  parfois  a  douter  de  la  culpabilite  de  ce  jeune  homme,  quoiqu'elle  soit  pour  elle 


FEDORA.  15 

But  nobody  knows  what  M.  de  Siriex  refers  to  and  it  is  the  universal  opinion, 
expressed  by  Olga,  Rouvel  and  the  others  that  Loris  Ipanoff  is  the  most  charming 
man  in  the  world. 

The  Countess  Olga  then  tell  of  a  charming  excursion  she  has  made  the  day  before 
on  the  Seine  from  Paris  to  Maisons  Lafitte  upon  Fedora's  yacht.  In  fact  they  tell 
Siriex  that  Fedora  has  left  St.  Petersburg  two  months  before  and  Loris  confirms  this 
news.  Siriex  is  more  and  more  astonished  healing  Loris  speak  of  Fedora  as  quietly 
as  if  nothing  had  occurred,  and  on  learning  that  Fedora  is  in  Paris  by  the  order  of 
the  Russian  Gouvernment  with  which  she  is  on  bad  terms. 

The  stupe  faction  of  Siriex  is  redoubled,  however,  when  he  learns  that  Loris  has 
been  one  of  the  party  of  the  day  before  on  Fedora's  yacht,  and  that  the  latter  has 
never  spoken  to  her  friend  Olga  of  the  sorrow  that  has  so  lately  befallen  her  in  Russia, 
the  death  of  her  fiancee. 

It  is  true  that  there  is  nothing  astonishing  in  the  mysterious  conduct  of  a  woman 
like  Fedora,  for  she  is  a  direct  descend ent  of  the  Cautacuzenes,  those  terrible  emperors 
of  the  Orient  who  reigned  so  long  at  Constantinople.  She  even  wears  on  her  finger 
their  imperial  ring  and  she  has  sometimes  the  barbarity  of  her  ancestors.  During  the 
excursion  on  the  Seine  the  day  before,  while  on  her  yacht,  she  had  had  a  sailor 
thrown  overboard  for  having  disobeyed  her. 

Siriex,  to  get  at  the  bottom  of  all  this  mystery,  criticises  Fedora  and  her  conduct, 
throws  doubt  upon  the  sincerity  of  her  acts  and  denies  that  she  can  be  a  nihilist 
expelled  from  Russia.  Loris  warmly  defends  Fedora  and  does  not  seem  in  the  least 
moved,  when  for  want  of  an  argument  Siriex  finally  turns  the  conversation  upon  the 
assassination  of  Vladimir  Yariskine. 

Sh\ex  acknowledges  to  himself  that  all  his  diplomacy  is  set  at  naught  by  the  skill 
of  those  around  him,  and  he  promises  himself  to  get  the  truth  of  the  matter  from  the 
Princess  Fedora  herself  whose  a:  rival  is  momentarily  expected. 

Several  theories  are  put  forward  by  the  Countess  Olga  concerning  the  peculiar 
charm  that  lies  in  loving  a  conspirator,  a  political  criminal  like  her  dear  pianist 
Boleslas,  in  being  convinced  of  his  hourly  peril  and  in  knowing  that  to-morrow  may 
bring  about  his  death.     Thereupon  Fedora  enters. 

As  soon  as  she  can  rid  herself  of  the  rest  of  the  party,  Fedora  finds  herself  alone 
with  Siriex. 

She  confesses  to  him  that  she  is  still  following  out  her  vengeance,  that  she  is  in 
Paris  only  for  this  end,  that  she  has  Russian  police  agents  at  her  command  and  that 
she  is  thoroughly  convinced  that  it  is  Loris  who  killed  Vladimir.  He  has  not  acknow- 
edged  it,  however,  but  everything  makes  her  suppose  it.  As  for  herself,  she  has  said 
nothing.  It  is  only  by  lulling  to  sleep  every  suspicion  of  her  intentions  that  she  can 
expect  to  succeed  in  avenging  her  fiancee.  Their  intended  marriage  had  not  been 
made  public  and  when,  after  his  crime,  Loris  had  succeeded  in  immediately  leaving 
Russia,  foiling  all  pursuit,  he  knew  nothing  concerning  Fedora  and  Vladimir,  there 
was  nothing  therefore  to  put  him  on  his  guard  against  her.  They  had  therefore  been 
able  to  make  each  others  acquaintance,  and  intimacy  had  thriven  apace. 

Loris  now  falls  deeply  in  love  with  Fedora,  whom  he  imagines  exiled  and  perse- 
cuted like  himself.     He  is  very  rich,  as  well  as  she,  consequently  he  is  sincere. 

Fedora  only  waits  for  an  occasion,  in  order  to  take  advantage  of  this  love  and 
make  him  confess  his  crime.  If  he  has  not  committed  it,  she  will  leave  him  and  forget 
him  to  follow  up  another  clue,  for  she  will  never  renounce  the  avenging  of  Vladimir. 
If  he  is  guilty  she  will  inexorably  give  him  up  to  justice. 

But  time  and  the  charm  of  Loris  have  already  begun  their  work ;  Fedora  from 


16  FEDORA. 

bien  averee,  et  elle  avoue  sincerement  a  Siriex  qu'elle  prefererait  trouver  Loria 
innocent ! 

Apres  cette  scene,  ecrite  et  pensee  de  main  demaitre  par  le  grand  auteur  francais, 
comme  elle  est  si  incomparablement  rendue  par  l'illustre  actrice  qui  l'a  creee,  Loris 
rentre  et  se  trouve  enfin,  dans  les  salons  d'Olga,  en  tete-a-tete  avec  la  Princesse  Fe- 
dora. 

Cet  entretien,  une  des  plus  eniouvantes  pages  du  theatre  contemporain,  arrive 
aux  plus  hauts  degres  qu'aient  jamais  pu  atteiudre  l'emotion  et  l'interet  dramatique. 

Fedora  dit  a  Loris  qu'elle  ne  l'attendait  par  ce  soir-la,  et  elle  se  laisse  aller  a  lui 
parler  d'amour  et  a  lui  permettre  de  lui  en  parler  aussi.  Tantot  sincere  et  passionnee 
dans  ce  qu'elle  dit  elle-meme,  tantot  reagissant  contre  sa  secrete  sympathie  et  teudant 
des  pieges  a  son  amoureus,  elle  fiuit  par  croire  a  son  innocence  et  elle  lui  annonce 
qu'elle  va  repartir  pour  la  Russie  cles  le  lendemain,  car  elle  a  1x911  du  Czar  sa  grace 
pleine  et  entiere. 

— Venez  avec  moi  ?  lui  dit-elle ;  le  Czar  vous  pardonnera  aussi.  — Vous  n'avez  pas 
du  commettre  de  grands  crimes  ;  j'intercederai  pour  vous. 

Mais  Loris  ne  peut  pas,  ne  veut  pas.  II  sait  qu'on  ne  lui  accordera  pas  sa  grace, 
car  on  l'accuse  d'avoir  assassine  le  fils  du  prefet  de  police,  Vladimir  Yariskine.  Son 
pere  est  tres  vindicatif  et  ne  croira  jamais  a  son  innocence. 

— Mais  vous  la  prouverez,  nous  la  prouverons,  s'ecrie  Fedora. 

— Et  si  je  ne  puis  pas  la  prouver'2 

— Comment? 

— Fedora,  m'aimez-vous? 

— Eh  bien  oui,  je  vous  aime ! 

— Vous  m'aimez?  .  .  .  Vous?  .  .  .  Eh  bien,  alors,  je  puis  tout  vous  dire  .  .  .  C'est 
moi  qui  ai  tue  Vladimir ! 

A  cette  epouvan table  revelation,  Fedora,  sa  ressouvenant  de  ses  serments  et  de  la 
mission  qu'elle  s'est  imposee,  ne  pense  plus  soudain  qu'a  venger  son  fiance  .  .  .  Mais 
comment  faire?  Livrer  Loris  aux  agents  du  Czar;  mais  de  quelle  maniere?  .  .  .  Ce 
n'est  que  par  l'amour  qu'elle  peut  attirer  le  meurtrier  dans  un  guet  a,  pens  .  .  .  Aussi, 
ne  veut-elle  pas  ici  entendre  la  justification,  les  explications  de  Loris  ;  il  les  lui  promet 
pour  le  lendemain,  mais  elle  les  veut  plus  tot  ;  il  lui  faut  la  vengeance  immediate,  le 
lendemain  est  trop  eloigne  pour  elle. 

Elle  l'attendra,  cette  nuit  meme,  chez  elle ;  elle  lui  donne  les  moyens  de 
penetrer  dans  sa  maison  .  .  .  Puisqu'elle  l'aime,  qu'a-t-il  a  craindre  ?  Qu'il  ne  s'arrete 
ni  devant  les  dangers  qu'il  peut  courir,  ni  devant  le  respect  qu'il  lui  doit;  elle  l'aime! 
Pourrait-il  hesiter  ? 

Devant  d'aussi  brulantes  paroles,  Loris  n'hesite  point,  en  effet.  II  ira,  cette  nuit 
meme,  chez  Fedora  .  .  . 

Et  Fedora  sera  vengee !  .  .  . 

RJDEA.B. 


FEDORA.  17 

time  to  time  allows  herself  to  doubt  his  culpability,  notwithstanding  that  it  is  very 
plain  to  her,  and  sincerely  admits  to  Siriex  that  she  would  prefer  to  find  Loris  inno- 
cent ! 

After  this  masterly  scene,  written  and  thought  out  by  the  great  French  author, 
and  as  it  has  been  incomparably  given  by  the  illustrious  actress  who  created  the  title 
role,  Loris  comes  back  and  finds  himself  tcte-a-tete  with  the  Princess  Fedora. 

This  interview  is  one  of  the  most  moving  pages  of  the  contemporaneous  stage, 
and  raises  to  the  highest  degree  the  dramatic  interest  and  emotion  of  the  spectator. 

Fedora  tells  Loris  that  she  did  not  expect  to  see  him  this  evening  and  allows  him 
to  speak  to  her  of  love  and  permits  herself  to  speak  of  love  to  him. 

First,  sincere  and  j)assionate  in  what  she  says  herself,  and  again  striving  against 
her  secret  sympathy  for  him,  she  lays  pitfall  for  her  lover  and  finally  ends  by  believing 
in  his  innocence,  and  tells  him  that  she  is  about  to  leave  for  Russia  to-morrow  as  she 
has  received  from  the  Czar  a  full  and  complete  pardon.  "  Come  with  me !  "  she  says, 
"  the  Czar  will  pardon  you  also  ;  you  certainly  have  committed  no  great  crime.  I  will 
intercede  for  you." 

But  Loris  cannot  go,  nor  does  he  wish  to.  He  knows  that  he  will  not  be  par- 
doned, because  they  accuse  him  of  having  assassinated  Vladimir,  the  son  of  the  Pre- 
fect of  Police.  The  latter  is  very  vindictive  and  would  never  believe  in  his  inno- 
cence. 

"  But  you  will  prove  it,  we  will  prove  it  together !  "  cries  Fedora. 

"  And  if  I  cannot  prove  it  ?  " 

"  What ! " 

"Fedora,  do  you  love  me?" 

"Yes!  I  love  you!  " 

"  You  love  me  ?  You  ?  .  .  .  Well,  then  I  can  tell  you  everything  ...  It  is  I  who 
killed  Vladimir !  " 

At  this  frightful  revelation,  Fedora  remembers  her  vows  and  the  mission  she  has 
given  herself  to  fulfill.     She  returns  to  her  ideas  of  revenge. 

She  will  of  course  give  up  Loris  to  the  agents  of  the  Czar  .  .  .  But  how  ?  ...  It  is 
only  by  love  that  she  can  draw  the  murderer  into  a  trap.  Neither  does  she  wish  to 
listen  now  to  the  explanations  of  Loris  ;  he  promises  ihem  to  her  on  the  morrow. 
She  must  have  them  sooner,  she  must  have  immediate  revenge.  To-morrow  is  too 
far  off.  She  will  expect  him  this  very  night  at  her  house  ;  she  gives  him  a  key  .  .  . 
Since  she  loves  him  what  has  he  to  fear?  He  must  not  be  deterred  by  the  danger  he 
may  run  nor  by  the  respect  which  he  owes  her.     She  loves  him!    Why  hesitate? 

Before  these  burning  words,  Loris  succumbs.     He  will  go  this  very  nigkt. 

He  will  meet  her. 

And  Fedora  will  be  avenged ! 

Curt  Am 


18  FEDOKA. 


Acte   Troisieme. 


Apres  la  soiree  chez  la  comtesse  Olga,  Taction  se  passe  chez  Fedora,  au  bord  de  la 
Seine,  dans  son  hotel  sur  le  quai,  en  face  duquel  se  trouve  amarre  son  yacht  de  plai- 
sance  dont  il  a  deja  ete  question  dans  l'acte  precedent. 

Fedora,  fievreuse  et  triomphante  a  la  fois,  sent  qu'elle  tient  enfin  sa  vengeance; 
elle  ne  la  laissera  pas  echapper.  Elle  donne  des  ordres  a  ses  domestiques  et  fait  venir 
en  toute  bate  l'officier  de  la  police  russe  que  Ton  a  mis  a  sa  disposition,  ce  meme 
Gretch  qui  a  mene,  au  premier  acte,  l'enquete  sur  l'assassinat  de  Vladimir. 

En  attendant  Gretch,  Fedora  recoit  M.  de  Siriex,  qui  lui  avait  promis  de  passer 
avant  de  rentrer  chez  lui,  pour  savoir  des  nouvelles  sur  ce  qu'elle  a  pu  apprendre  de 
la  culpabilite  de  Loris. 

Fedora  lui  annonce  qu'elle  a  tout  appris,  puisque  Loris  lui  a  tout  avoue.  Elle 
n'en  a  pas  encore  les  details,  mais  elle  va  les  avoir.  C'est  evidemment  comme 
nihiliste  que  Loris  a  tue  le  fils  du  Prefet  de  Police,  car  il  a  prononce  devant  elle  le 
mot  de  chatiment. 

Depuis  quelque  temps,  le  gouvernement  russe  demande  au  gouvernement  fraucais 
l'extradition  de  Loris,  mais  sans  pouvoir  l'obtenir ;  Fedora  supplie  M.  de  Siriex  de 
s'eniployer  a  la  faire  accorder,  et  elle  s'etonne  des  raisons  que  lui  donne  le  Secretaire 
du  Ministre  pour  lui  faire  comprendre  qu'aucune  nation  civilisee  ne  s'abaisserait  au 
point  de  livrer  un  condamne  politique. 

Fedora  agira  done  seule.  II  est  fort  tard,  personne  ne  se  promene  a  cette  heure  sur 
les  quais  ;  ses  hommes  de  police  saisiront  Loris,  le  baillonneront,  le  jetteront  au  fond 
du  yacht  qui  est  en  face,  sur  la  Seine,  et  Fedora  le  conduira  elle-meme  dans  la  mer 
de  la  Manche,.  ou  elle  le  livrera,  pieds  et  poiugs  lies,  a  un  vaisseau  de  guerre  russe  qui 
y  est  precisement  en  station. 

C'est  ce  qu'elle  explique  tout  au  long  au  policier  Gretch,  des  que  Siriex  est  sorti. 
Ou  va  laisser  entrer  Loris  sans  qu'il  se  doute  de  rien,  mais  on  se  jettera  sur  lui  et  on 
l'enlevera  aussitot  qu'il  quittera  la  maison. 

Gretch,  de  son  cote,  donne  a.  Fedora  les  nouvelles  de  ce  que  lui  et  ses  espions  ont 
decouvert  dans  la  journee.  Comme  Loris  s'est  apercu  qu'on  lui  derobait  ou  qu'on 
decachetait  avant  lui  toutes  les  lettres  qui  lui  etaient  adres&ees  de  Russie,  c'est  main- 
tenant  par  des  personnes  venant  directement  de  Saint-Petersbourg  qu'il  les  recoit. 
Le  jour  meme,  il  en  a  recu  une  de  son  frere  Valerien  Ipanoff,  capitaine  dans  la  gard« 
du  Czar. 

Plus  de  doutes,  le  frere  est  aussi  un  nihiliste.  Fedora  prend  la  plume  et  ecrit  au 
Prefet  de  Police  qu'elle  tient  enfin  Loris,  qu'elle  va  le  lui  envoyer  vivant,  que  son 
frere  Valerien  est  son  complice,  et  que,  par  consequent,  Vladimir  va  etre  venge  par 
son  pere  et  par  sa  fiancee. 

Fedora  fait  mettre  cette  lettre  a  la  poste  et,  ordonnant  a  ses  gens  d'aller  dormir 
et  aux  agents  de  police  de  suivre  ses  instructions  formelles,  elle  reste  seule  pour 
attendre  Loris. 

Elle  va  pouvoir  savourer  a.  son  aise  sa  vengeance. 

Loris  se  presente  ;  comme  toujours,  il  dit  qu'il  a  ete  suivi  par  des  espions  ;  Fe- 
dora le  rassure  ;  en  somme,  pourquoi  done  s'est-il  fait  nihiliste? 


FEDORA.  19 


Act  Third. 


After  the  Countess  Olga's  soiree  the  scene  is  changed  to  Fedora's  residence  on 
the  banks  of  the  Seine,  opposite  which  rides  at  anchor  the  pretty  little  steam-yacht 
mentioned  in  the  last  act. 

Fedora,  feverish  but  triumphant,  feels  that  she  at  last  is  about  to  reap  her 
revenge.  She  will  not  let  it  escape  !  She  gives  orders  to  the  servants  and  sends  in 
haste  for  the  Russian  detective  that  the  home  government  has  placed  at  her  disposal. 
It  is  the  same  Gretch  who  in  the  first  act  held  the  judicial  inquiry  upon  the  assassina- 
tion of  Vladimir. 

While  Fedora  is  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  Gretch,  M.  de  Siriex  is  announced  and 
received  by  the  mistress  of  the  house.  He  had  promised  to  call  before  going  home 
and  hear  what  she  had  discovered  concerning  the  guilt  of  Loris. 

Fedora  tells  him  that  she  knows  all,  since  Loris  has  confessed  his  crime  to  her. 
She  has  not  yet  heard  all  the  details,  but  she  is  about  to  hear  them.  It  is  evidentlv  as 
a  nihilist  that  Loris  did  the  foul  deed,  because  he  pronounced  before  her  the  word 
"  retribution." 

The  Russian  government  has  for  some  time  been  demanding  the  extradition  of 
Loris  Ipanoff  from  France,  but  without  avail.  Fedora  begs  M.  de  Siriex  to  use  his 
influence  to  obtain  it,  and  can  not  understand  the  reasons  the  Secretary  of  the 
Embassy  gives  in  order  to  make  her  see  that  no  civilized  nation  would  stoop  so  low 
as  to  give  up  a  man  condemned  for  political  reasons. 

Fedora  resolves  in  this  case  to  act  alone.  It  is  very  late  and  no  one  passes  along 
the  deserted  streets.  Her  scheme  is  to  have  Loris  seized  by  the  detectives  and  his 
cries  smothered  with  a  cloak.  He  is  then  to  be  carried  on  board  of  her  steam-yacht, 
which  lies  all  prepared  for  the  occasion;  the  yacht  is  then  to  steam  immediately  out  to 
sea  and  shape  its  course  for  the  English  Channel,  where  a  Russian  man-of-war  will  be 
all  ready  to  receive  the  prisoner.  This  is  what  she  explains  in  detail  to  Gretch  when 
M.  de  Siriex  has  taken  his  leave.  Loris  is  to  be  allowed  to  enter  the  house,  but  is  to 
be  seized  and  jjinioned  the  moment  he  leaves. 

Gretch  on  his  side  gives  Fedora  an  account  of  his  labors  during  the  day,  and 
tells  her  what  his  spies  have  discovered. 

As  Loris  has  perceived  that  all  the  letters  addressed  to  him  from  Russia  are 
either  stolen  or  read  before  their  delivery,  he  now  only  receives  direct  communications 
from  St.  Petersburg  through  the  hands  of  personal  Mends.  This  day  he  has  received 
one  from  his  brother,  Valerian  Ipanoff,  captain  of  the  Czar's  body  guard. 

This  settles  another  important  question.  The  brother  is  also  a  nihilist.  Fedora 
takes  her  pen  and  writes  to  the  Prefect  of  Police  at  St.  Petersburg  that  she  at  last 
holds  Loris,  that  she  will  send  him  back  to  Russia  alive,  that  his  brother  Valerian  is 
his  accomplice,  and  consequently  Vladimir  will  at  last  be  avenged  by  the  hands  of  his 
father  and  by  his  fiancee. 

Fedora  sends  this  letter  to  be  mailed,    then  orders  the  servants  to  bed  and 
instructing  the  detectives  to  follow  her  commands  to  the  letter,  she  is  left  alone  and 
waits  impatiently  for  Loris.     She  is  at  last  able  to  count  upon  her  revenue ! .  . . 
Loris  at  last  appears.     As  usual,  he  complains  of  having  been  followed  by  spies. 


20  FEDORA. 

A  ces  mots,  Loris  s'etonne;  il  n'est  pas  nihiliste,  il  ne  l'a  jamais  ete,  il  ne  s'occupe 
pas  cle  politique. 

— Mais,  dit  Fedora  incredule,  pourquoi  avez-vous  tue  Vladimir  Yariskine? 

— Ce  n'est  pas  comme  nihiliste,  s'ecrie  Loris  ;  c'est  parce  qu'il  m'avait  pris  ma 
femme ! 

— Votre  femme? 

— Oui,  ma  femme. 

Et  le  jeune  homme  raconte  alors  ce  qui  s'est  pass&  II  vivait  seul  avec  sa  mere, 
i*  la  campagne,  dans  un  cl  ateau  ;  sa  vieille  et  sainte  mere  avait  une  jeune  lectrice, 
belle  et  spirifcuelle.  Dans  cette  frequentation  de  tous  les  instants,  Loris  etait  devenu 
amoureux  cle  la  demoiselle  et  avait  voulu  1'epouser. 

Mais  sa  mere,  qui  avait  du  bon  sens  et  jugeait  autrement  que  lui  les  merites  et  les 
qualites  de  la  lectrice,  avait  refuse  son  consentement  a  une  telle  union  et  me  ue  avait 
con<>edie  la  jeune  personne.  Loris,  desespere  et  toujours  plein  d'amour,  lui  avait 
assigne  un  rendez-vous  a  Saiiit-Petersbourg,  ou  ils  s'etaient  rejoints  et  maries,  en 
cacbette,  devant  un  pretre,  en  esperant  toujours  que  lot  ou  tard  la  mere  consentirait 
a  ce  mariage  et  que  les  deux  epoux  devant  Dieu  pourraient  eufin  se  proclamer  tels 
devant  le  monde. 

La  jeune  femme  etait  coquette  et  semblait  prefer  un  peu  trop  d'attention  aux* 
flatteries  des  bommes;  une  fois,  Loris  avait  du  se  presenter  cbez  Vladimir,   pour  le 
prier  de  cesser  ses  assiduites  et  ses  galanteries  vis-a-vis  de  sa  femme  Vanda. 

Les  cboses  en  etaient-la,  et  Loris  n'avait  aucun  soupcon  sur  la  conduite  de  sa 
fei^.~e,  quand  un  jour,  parti  pour  aller  au  chateau  de  sa  mere,  il  ne  put  prendre  le 
train  et  rentra  cbez  lui.  II  n'y  trouva  qu'une  vieille  domestique  qui  rapportait  a  sa 
maitresse  une  lettre  de  Vladimir  lui  assignant  un  rendez-vous  pour  cette  nuit.  Cette 
lettre  etait  une  reponse  a  une  autre  de  la  femme  de  Loris  qui  prevenait  Vladimir  du 
depart  de  son  mari. 

Loris  court  cbez  Vladimir,  ne  l'y  trouve  pas,  mais  apercoit  dans  un  tiroir  encore 
ouvert  la  lettre  de  sa  femme:  il  s'en  empare  et  court  au  rendez-vous  des  deux 
criminels. 

Le  rendez-vous  avait  lieu  dans  une  maison  isolee,  louee  pour  Vladimir  sous  un 
faux  nom.  Loris  s'y  introduit,  surprend  les  deux  amants;  un  duel  immediat  a  lieu, 
Vladimir  tire  le  premier  et  manque  Loris,  qui,  tirant  a  son  tour,  blesse  mortellement 
son  adversaire. 

Pendant  ce  temps,  la  femme  coupable  s'est  enfuie,  sans  prendre  ses  vetements  de 
fourrure,  et  s'est  refugiee  dans  la  maison  d'une  amie,  ou  eUe  a  trouve  la  mort  des 
suites  du  froid  qu'elle  a  ressenti  dans  sa  fuite  precipitee. 

Loris,  lui  aussi,  est  alle  chercher  un  asile  chez  un  de  ses  amis,  nomme  Boroff,  qui 
lui  a  facilite  les  moyens  de  passer  la  frontiere. — Ce  Boroff,  qui  se  trouvait  bier  encore 
a  Paris  chez  la  Comtesse  Olga,  vient  justement  de  partir  pour  P<,tersbourg  pour  dire 
toute  la  veritu  a  l'Empereur  pour  essayer  d'obtenir  la  grace  de  Loris.  Mais  il  ne  l'ob- 
tiendra  certainement  pas,  tant  que  le  Prefet  de  Police  sera  Yariskine,  le  pere  de 
Vladimii\ 

Fedora  s'etonne  de  ce  que  la  femme  de  Loris  n'ait  pas  parle  avant  de  mourir. 
A  quoi  Loris  explique  qu'elle  s'etait  tue  par  erainte  d'etre  compromise  et  d'etre  envoyee 
en  Siberie. 

Maintenant,  comment  a-t-on  ete  tout  de  suite  sur  la  vraie  piste  du  meurtrier  ? 
Qui  a  ete  assez  clairvoyant  et  assez  mecbant  pour  deviner  que  c'etait  Loris  et  pour 
mettre  toute  la  police  a  ses  trousses  ?     Le  jeune  homme  l'ignore. 


FEDORA.  21 

Fedirare  assures  him.  "Why  do  you  complain?"  she  says,  "why,  then,  did  you  become 
a  nihilist  ?"  These  words  evidently  astonish  Loris.  He  is  not  a  nihilist,  he  says,  has 
never  been  one  and  does  not  deal  in  politics. 

"But"  Fedora  exclaims  incredulously,  "why  then  did  you  shoot  Vladimir 
Yariskine  ?  " 

"I  did  not  kill  him  as  a  nihilist,"  interrupts  Loris,  "it  was  because  he  took  my 
wife  away  from  me!" 

"Your  wife?" 

"Yes,  my  wife." 

The  young  man  then  tells  how  the  affair  occurred.  He  was  living  alone  with  nis 
mother  at  his  country  residence;  his  aged  and  beloved  mother  had  a  young  companion 
handsome  and  spirituelle.  By  force  of  long  association  Loris  fell  in  love  with  the  lady 
and  had  asked  her  to  marry  him  ;  but  his  mother,  who  was  a  very  sensible  woman  and 
who  had  taken  a  different  view  of  the  merits  and  qualities  of  her  companion,  had 
refused  her  consent  to  the  union  and  had  even  dismissed  the  young  woman. 

Loris,  in  despair  and  still  deeply  in  love,  had  given  her  rendez-vous  at  St.  Peters- 
burg, where  they  met  and  were  married  in  secret,  hoping  that,  sooner  or  later,  the 
mother  would  give  her  consent,  and  that  the  two  who  were  married  before  God  would 
soon  be  able  to  proclaim  themselves  husband  and  wife  before  the  world . 

The  young  wife  was  a  decided  coquette  and  seemed  to  lend  a  too  willing  ear  to 
the  flatteries  of  men.  Once  Loris  had  been  forced  to  go  to  Vladimir  and  beg  him  to 
cease  his  attentions  to  his  wife  Vanda. 

Matters  stood  thus  and  Loris  had  no  suspicion  concerning  his  wife's  conduct,  when 
one  day,  having  started  to  catch  a  train,  in  order  to  pay  a  visit  to  his  mother  in  the 
country,  he  misses  the  train  and  comes  back  home.  He  finds  no  one  but  an  old  ser- 
vant, who  is  bringing  back  to  her  mistress  a  letter  from  Vladimir  arranging  a  meeting 
for  the  same  evening.  This  letter  is  an  answer  to  one  written  bv  Loris'  wife  informing 
Vladimir  of  the  departure  of  her  husband.  Loris  rushes  to  Vladimir's  house,  does 
n«t  find  him  in,  but  perceives  in  the  drawer  of  his  study  table  his  wife's  letter.  He 
seizes  it,  reads  its  contents  and  flies  to  the  place  of  rendez-vous. 

This  meeting  had  been  appointed  in  an  isolated  house,  rented  by  Vladimir  under 
an  assumed  name.  Loris  forces  his  way  in,  surprises  the  delinquents,  and  the  result  is 
a  duel  upon  the  spot. 

Vladimir  fires  first  and  misses  Loris,  who,  firing  in  his  turn,  mortally  wounds  his 
adversary. 

During  this  time  the  guilty  wife  escapes,  without  taking  with  her  her  heavy  fur 
cloak.  She  seeks  refuge  in  the  house  of  a  friend  is  taken  ill  with  pneumonia  caused 
by  the  exposure,  and  dies  within  a  week. 

For  his  own  part,  Loris  sought  refuge  with  a  friend  named  Boroff,  who  found 
means  to  get  him  out  of  the  country  —  This  Boroff,  who  was  yesterday  still  in  Paris 
at  the  Countess  Olga's,  has  just  left  for  St.  Petersburg  to  lay  the  whole  truth  before 
the  Emperor  and  to  try  to  obtain  Boris's  pardon.  This  he  will  certainly  not  do,  as 
long  as  Yariskine,  the  father  of  Vladimir,  is  Prefect  of  Police. 

Fedora  is  astonished  that  Loris's  wife  did  not  disclose  the  truth  before  dying,  but 
Loris  explains  that  she  was  silent  from  fear  of  being  convicted  as  an  accomplice  in  the 
crime  and  being  sent  to  Siberia. 

As  to  who  put  justice  on  the  track  of  the  murderer  and  as  to  who  was  astute 
enough  or  malicious  enough  to  guess  the  truth  and  betray  him  to  the  police,  Loris 
is  entirely  ignorant. 

Not  knowing  whether  Loris  is  a  most  consulate  villain  or  whether  he  is  really 


22  FEDORA. 

Ne  sachant  vraiment  si  Loris  est  un  profond  miserable  ou  un  martyr  bien  a 
plaindre,  Fedora  met  en  doute  la  veracite  du  recit  qu'elle  vient  d'entendre. 

Pour  lui  prouver  que  tout  est  vrai  dans  ce  qu'il  a  dit,  Loris  lui  montre  la  lettre 
de  sa  femme  Vanda,  qu'il  a  prise  dans  le  tiroir  de  Vladimir  ;  cette  preuve  ne  suffisant 
pas  a  Fedora,  il  lui  donne  a  lire  toutes  les  lettres  que  Vladimir  avait  adressees  a  sa 
femme  et  que  Loris  a  trouvees  chez  elle  la  nuit  meme  du  meurtre. 

Fedora  les  prend,  eu  recommit  l'ecrituie  et  les  lit ;  au  fur  et  a  mesure  qu'elle  les 
parcourt,  une  revolution  terrible  se  fait  en  elle.  Elle  voit  dans  ces  lettres  que  Vladi- 
mir parle  d'elle  avec  le  plus  grand  dedain,  qu'il  jure  a  sa  maitresse  qu'il  ne  se  marie 
que  force  par  son  pere,  qu'il  n'aimera  jamais  que  la  femme  de  Loris  et  que,  meme 
aprcs  l'odieux  marriage  qu'on  lui  impose,  sa  seule  femme  continuera  d'etre  elle,  et 
que  Fedora  ne  sera  jamais  rien  pour  lui. 

Devant  ces  revelations  inattendues,  ces  preuves  irrecusables,  Fedora  ne  doute 
plus  ;  mais  que  faire  ? 

Elle  lui  offre  de  partir  elle-meme  pour  la  Russie  et  d'aller  demander  sa  grace  ; 
s'il  ne  consent  pas,  elle  restera  elle  aussi,  car  elle  l'aime  maintenant  et  ne  veut  j^lus  le 
quitter. 

Loris  declare  qu'il  est  trop  tard,  qu'il  vient  justement  de  recevoir  une  lettre  de 
son  frere  Valerien,  dans  laquelle  il  lui  annonce  que  ses  biens  sont  confisques  et  qu'il 
est  condamne  a  mort.  Devant  la  miserable  existence  qui  lui  est  faite  desormais,  il  ne 
se  croit  plus  le  droit  d'importuner  Fedora  de  sa  presence  et  de  son  amour  et,  en 
meme  temps  que  pour  lui  faire  sa  penible  confession,  e'estpour  lui  dire  un  adieu  eter- 
nel  qu'il  est  venu  cette  nuit  chez  elle. 

Mais  Fedora  se  souvient  tout-a-coup  que  Loris  ne  peut  sortir  de  la  maison  sans 
etre  srussitot  enleve,  assassine  meme,  par  les  hommes  qu'elle  a  places  aux  alentours 
pour  cela.  Si  Loris  sort,  il  est  perdu,  et  elle  ne  peut  plus  le  sauver ....  Elle  le  supplie 
done  de  rester,  d'attendre,  de  ne  pas  la  quitter  .  .  Mais  il  est  tard,  et  Loris  insiste 
pour  sortir,  ne  fvit-ce  que  par  le  respect  qu'il  a  pour  la  Princesse  et  qu'il  ne  veut  pas 
laisser  effleurer  par  la  malveillance  du  monde. 

Devant  ce  danger  imminent,  ne  se  souvenant  plus  que  du  martyr  de  cet  inno- 
cent, de  son  amour  pour  elle  et  de  la  mort  a  laquelle  il  court  ;  fremissant  aussi  d'in- 
dignation  au  souvenir  de  l'infamie  du  lache  et  traitre  Vladimir,  Fedora  n'hesite  plus 
....  Elle  ne  peut  pas  lui  raconter  qu'elle-meme  a  place  des  gens  pour  l'assassiner, 
mais  elle  le  prie,  le  supplie,  au  nom  de  son  amour  pour  lui!  Elle  se  donne  a  lui,  elle 
n'a  que  lui  au  monde,  elle  ne  veut  pas  qu'il  parte,  elle  veut  le  garder.  Que  lui  fait  la 
malveillance  publique  ?     Elle  l'aime !    ... 

Et  Loris,  "»on  moins  amoureux,  non  moins  passionne  qu'elle,  reste  cbez  Fedora! 


FEDORA.  25 

the  victim  of  circumstances  that  he  claims  himself  to  be,  Fedora  allows  herself  to  doubt 
the  veracity  of  the  story  she  has  just  heard. 

In  order  to  prove  the  entire  truth  of  what  he  has  said,  Loris  shows  her  the  letter 
of  his  wife  Vanda,  which  he  had  found  in  Vladimir's  study;  this  proof  not  being 
,  sufficient  to  convince  Fedora  he    gives  her  to  read  all  Vladimir's  letters  to  Vanda, 
.'  which  Loris  had  found  in  his  wife's  room  the  night  of  the  murder. 

Fedora  takes  them,  recognizes  the  handwriting  and  reads  them.  As  she  reads  a 
terrible  change  comes  over  her.  She  sees  by  these  letters  that  Vladimir  had  spoken 
of  her  in  terms  of  the  greatest  scorn,  that  he  had  sworn  to  his  mistress  that  he  was 
being  forced  into  marriage  with  Fedora  by  his  father,  that  he  would  never  love  any 
woman  but  Vanda  and  that  even  after  the  odious  marriage  that  was  forced  upon  him 
she  would  still  continue  to  be  his  only  true  wife,  and  that  Fedora  would  never  be 
anything  to  him  in  comparison  with  herself. 

These  unexpected  revelations,  these  unimpeachable  proofs  at  last  convince  Fe- 
dora. She  no  longer  doubts !  But  what  is  to  be  done  ?  She  offers  to  go,  herself,  to 
Russia  and  ask  for  his  pardon;  if  he  refuses  she  will  stay  and  share  his  exile,  for  she 
now  loves  him  and  no  longer  wishes  to  leave  him. 

Loris  declares  that  it  is  too  late.  He  has  just  received  a  letter  from  bis  brother 
Valerian,  in  which  the  latter  announces  that  all  his  lands  and  belongings  have  been 
confiscated  and  that  he  has  been  condemned  to  death  !  Seeing  the  miserable  exist- 
ence which  lies  before  him,  he  no  longer  feels  that  he  has  the  right  to  annoy  Fedora 
with  his  presence  or  his  love,  and  tells  her  that  he  has  come  to  her,  not  only  in  order 
to  lay  before  her  his  painful  confession,  but  also  to  bid  her  an  eternal  farewell. 

He  is  about  to  take  his  departure,  when  Fedora  suddenly  remembers  that  Loris 
cannot  leave  the  house  without  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  very  men  she  has  had 

stationed  without.     He  may  even  be  murdered  in  the  struggle  !  - If  Loris 

crosses  the  threshold  of  the  house  he  is  lost,  and  she  cannot  save  him  ! 

She  begs  him  to  stay,  to  wait,  not  to  leave  her —  but  it  is  late,  and  Loris 

insists  upon  going,  were  it  only  out  of  respect  for  the  Princess  whom  he  does  not  wish 
touched  by  the  slightest  breath  of  scandal. 

Before  this  imminent  danger,  only  remembering  the  martyrdom  of  this  innocent 
man,  his  love  for  her  and  the  certain  death  toward  which  he  is  unconsciously  going, 
and  shuddering,  too,  with  indignation  at  the  remembrance  of  the  false,  despicable 

Vladimir,  Fedora  no  longer  hesitates.        She  can  not  tell  him  that  she  has 

stationed  men  without  to  kidnap  and  perhaps  murder  him,  but  she  begs,  she  implores 

him  in  the  name  of  her  love  for  him,  to  stay  > She  is  his,  she  has  but  him  m 

the  world,  he  shall  not  go,  he  must  stay  with  her ! "What  does  she  care  for 

scandal  ? She  loves  him  ! 

And  Loris,  who  is  no  less  in  love  than  she,  is  won  over  by  her  entreaties  and 
stays! 

Curtain. 


24  iEJJOiixv. 


Actk  Quatrikmk. 


Nous  avons  laisse  Fedora  et  Loris  dans  les  bras  l'un  de  l'autre,  oubliant  les 
dangers  du  moment  et  ne  pensant  plus  aux  eventuabtes  redoutables  de  l'avenir. 

Quand  le  jour  est  venu,  Fedora,  congediant  les  homines  de  police,  a  bien  fait 
monter  Loris  sur  son  yacht,  mais  ce  n'etait  plus  pour  le  livrer  a  la  justice  russe;  ils 
sont  alles  ensemble  dans  l'ile  anglaise  de  Jersey,  sur  les  cotes  de  France.  La,  ils  ont 
vecu  pendant  quinze  jours,  en  pleine  lune  de  miel,  loin  du  monde  et  des  tenioins 
importuns. 

Cependant,  a  Paris,  leurs  amis  et  connaissances  savent  ce  qui  er>  est  et  s'entre- 
tiennent  fort  de  cette  escapade  amoureuse. 

C'est  ce  que  se  racontent  Siriex  et  la  Comtesse  Olga,  qui  se  trouvent  en  presence 
dans  le  salon  do  Fedora,  a  Paris,  ou.  la  princesse  et  Loris  viennent  de  rentrer  apres 
leurs  deux  semaines  d'amour  sans  melange. 

La  Comtesse  Olga  envie  leur  sort  et  leur  amour.  Elle  fait,  en  effet,  a  Siriex  le 
recit  de  ses  malheurs  personnels.  Depuis  quinze  jours,  bien  des  cboses  ont  traverse 
son  existence;  elle  ne  veut  plus  se  fier  a  personne  desormais,  et  elle  va  se  retirer  loin 
du  monde  et  de  ses  perfidies.  Elle  est  desolee  et  decouragee  pour  toujours.  Cet 
homme  qu'elle  amait  tant,  qu'elle  tachait  de  lancer  et  de  rendre  celebre,  ce  pretendu 
exile,  ce  pianiste  incomparable,  Boleslas  Lasinski  en  un  mot,  n'etait  qu'un  vil 
miserable.     Elle  le  croyait  jaloux  par  amour  parce    qu'il  l'empechait  de  sortir,   la 

suivait  partout  et  epiait  la  moindre  de  ses  demarches Helas!  non!  c'etait  tout 

simplement  un  espion  du  gouvernement  russe  que  Ton  avait  attache  a  ses  pas. 
Depuis  qu'elle  le  sait,  elle  est  desesperee,  furieuse,  et  ne  pense  plus  qu'a  disparaitre  de 
la  societe  parisienne.     Son  pianiste  l'a  rendue  a  jamais  ridicule. 

Fedora,  elle,  pense  tout  autrement  a,  propos  de  1'amour.  Elle  est  heureuse  au 
possible,  et  elle  le  raconte  a  Siriex.  Celui-ci  s'emerveille  beaucoup  de  voir  ces  redou- 
tables femmes  du  Nord,  s'acharnant  a  la  vengeance,  voulant  bvrer  un  homme  a  la  tor- 
ture et  a  l'echafaud  et  finissant  par  tomber  dans  ses  bras  en  lui  criant  :   Je  t'aime ! 

Toutefois,  Siriex  est  venu  voir  Fedora  pour  un  motif  serieux  ;  il  lui  apporte  les 
nouvelles  des  evenements  qui  se  sont  passes  depuis  quinze  jours.  II  les  tient  de  bonne 
source,  etant  secretaire  du  Ministre  a  qui  Ton  adresse  toutes  les  communications  des 
pays  t-trangers. 

La  premiere  nouvelle  qu'apporte  Siriex  est  la  disgrace  du  prefet  de  police 
Yariskine  ;  destitue,  et  probablement  arrete  en  ce  moment  a  cause  de  sa  mauvaise 
conduite  et  de  ses  nombreux  abus  de  pouvoir,  ce  farouche  tyran  n'est  plus  a  craindre 
aujoui'd'hui  pour  Loris. 

Les  autres  nouvelles  sont,  au  contraire,  mauvaises  et  sinistres.  Sur  une  denon- 
ciation,  arrivee  de  Paiis  au  gouvernement  russe,  on  a  arrete  le  frere  de  Loris,  Valerien 
Ipanoff,  capitaine  dans  la  garde  imperiale.  Yariskine,  encore  alors  prefet  de  police, 
l'a  fait  arreter  comme  nihiliste  et  l'a  fait  jeter  dans  un  cachot  profond  au  dessous  du 
niveau  de  la  Neva  ;  le  fleuve  a  deborde  le  jour  meme,  et  Valerien  est  niort  noye  dans 
son  cachot.  Le  lendemain,  il  etait  demontre  que  ce  jeune  officier  n'etait  pasun  nihiliste; 
l'indignation  publique  a  ete  portee  a,  son  comble  contre  Yariskine,  et  cela  a  ete  une 
des  causes  de  sa  disgrace. 


FEDORA.  25 


Act   Fourth. 


The  last  act  left  Fedora  and  Loris  in  each  others'  arms  forgetful  of  the  dangers  of 
the  present  and  the  perils  of  the  future. 

When  day  breaks  Fedora  goes  out,  sends  away  the  detectives  and  then  hurries 
Loris  on  board  of  her  yacht,  but  it  is  no  longer  in  order  to  surrender  him  to  the 
Russian  government.  They  go  together  to  the  Isle  of  Jersey  off  the  coast  of  France. 
There  they  live  for  several  weeks  in  full  honeymoon,  far  from  the  world  and  unwelcome 
witnesses. 

Nevertheless,  at  Paris,  their  friends  and  acquaintancesfind  out  the  secret  and 
comment  is  rife  about  the  escapade  of  the  two  lovers. 

This  what  Siriex  and  the  Countess  Olga  are  speaking  about,  when  they  meet  in 
Fedora's,  who,  with  Loris,  has  just  returned  from  their  stolen  visit  to  the  Isle  of  Jersey. 

The  Countess  Olga  envies  their  experience  and  their  love;  in  fact  she  is  just  now 
giving  Siriex  the  full  recital  of  her  personal  grievances.  Since  two  weeks  ago  many 
things  have  changed  in  her  life ;  she  will  henceforth  believe  in  no  living  soul,  she  is 
going  to  go  far  from  the  world  and  its  deceits;  she  is  in  despair  and  discouraged  for 
life  .  .  This  man  whom  she  had  so  loved,  whom  she  had  introduced  into  society  and 
tried  to  render  famous,  this  pretended  exile,  this  incomparable  pianist,  Boleslas 
Lasinski,  in  fact  was  nothing  but  a  vile  miscreant.  She  believed  him  in  love  and 
jealous  because  he  did  not  want  her  to  go  out  without  following  her  and  spying  out 
her  slightest  actions ! . .  . .  Alas  !  no  !  He  was  nothing  but  a  Russian  spy  !  Since  she 
has  found  this  out  she  is  heart-broken,  furious,  and  only  thinks  of  disappearing  from 
Parisian  society  where  she  is  sure  every  one  is  laughing  at  her. 

Fedora,  for  her  part,  takes  love  from  an  entirely  different  point  of  view.  She  is 
happy,  wondrously  happy,  and  tells  Siriex  so.  The  letter  is  puzzled  to  account  for  the 
hidden  motives  of  action  in  these  women  from  Northern  climes,  who  throw  themselves 
with  all  their  soul  into  a  scheme  of  revenge,  dooming  their  victim  to  the  scaffold  and 
end  by  rushing  into  his  arms  crying:  "I  love  you!  " 

Notwithstanding  this,  Siriex  has  come  to  see  Fedora  for  serious  reasons,  in  fact 
he  brings  most  important  news  from  Russia.  He  has  them  from  the  most  reliable  of 
sources,  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

The  first  piece  of  news  which  Siriex  brings  is  the  disgrace  of  the  Prefect  of  Police, 
Yariskine,  degraded  and  probably  arrested  by  this  time  for  his  numerous  abuses  of 
power.     This  tyrant,  then,  is  no  longer  to  be  feared  for  Loris. 

The  rest  of  the  news  is  bad  and  disheartening.  Upon  a  denunciation  from  Paris 
to  the  Russian  gouvernment,  Valerian  Ipanoff,  Loris'  brother,  captain  of  the  Czar's 
body-guard,  has  been  arrested.  Yariskine,  still  prefect  at  this  time,  has  had  him  thrown 
into  a  dungeon  below  the  level  of  the  river  Niva,  which  overflowed  during  the  night, 
and  Valerian  was  drowned  in  his  cell.  The  very  next  day  it  was  fully  proven  that  the 
young  man  was  innocent  and  public  indignation  had  been  so  great  over  this  blunder 
that  it  proved  one  of  the  potent  factors  which  led  to  Yariskine's  downfall. 

"Unhappily  this  disaster  is  not  the  only  one.  The  mother  of  the  two  Ipanoffs, 
already  broken  down  by  the  sentence  of  death  passed  on  Loris,-  on  hearing  of 
Valerian's  frightful  end,  falls  dead.     These  two  sinister  events  are  directly  traceable 


26  FEDORA. 

Malheureuseinent,  ce  malheur  n'a  pas  ete  le  seul.  La  mere  des  deux  Ipanof£ 
deja  atteree  par  la  condanination  a  mort  de  Loris,  est  tombee  raide  morte  en  appre- 
nant  l'epouvantable  et  injuste  fin  de  Valerien.  Ces  deux  malheurs  sont  dus  au  denon- 
ciateur  inconnu  qui  seinble  s'etre  si  particulierernent  acharne  contre  la  famille  Ipanoff. 

Fedora,  epouvantee  de  son  ceavre,  perd  la  tete  ets'iujurie.  .  Sernblant  s'adresser 
a  une  autre  personne,  elle  insulte  le  miserable  denonciateur,  le  tigre  feroce  qui  a  cause 
de  tels  malheurs  .  .  .  Et  Loris,  qui  l'entend  et  qui  voit,  en  entrant  dans  le  salon,  la 
douleur  et  la  colere  de  sa  bien-aimee  Fedora,  la  remereie  avec  une  vive  et  recounais- 
sante  emotion. 

Fedora  recule  d'abord  devant  ces  remerciements,  qu'elle  est  si  loin  de  meriter,  et 
elle  s'ecrie  qu'elle  est  une  miserable  ! 

— Pourquoi  etes-vous  une  miserable?   demande  Loris  etonne. 

— Parce  que,  j'aitpu  vous  croire  coupable  et  criminel,  repood  la  priacesse. 

— Eh !  qu'importe !  dit  Loris.  Vous  l'avez  cru,  comme  beaucoup  d'autres  l'ont 
era.  Vous  ne  le  croyez  plus  anjourd'hui,  e'est  l'essentiel.  Vous  m'aimez,  n'est-ce  pas 
mon  bonbeur,  mon  absolution,  ma  consolation  ? 

Depuis  qu'ils  sout  partis  de  Paris,  il  est  arrive  plusieurs  lettres  de  Itussie  pour 
Loris  ;  elles  ont  ete  adressees  chez  Fedora  afin  que  les  espions  russes  ne  les  saisissent 
pas  chez  lui.  II  les  prend  et  les  ouvre.  II  commence  par  un  telegramme,  qui  est  de 
son  ami  Boroff ;  Loris  y  lit  ces  mots  :  "  J'ai  obtenu  ta  grace." 

Sa  joie  eclate  en  voyant  son  honneur  repare,  ainsi  que  sa  fortune  ;  il  pourra 
rentrer  dans  son  pays  et  y  epouser  Fedora   . . . 

Puis,  il  lit  les  lettres,  tandis  que  Fedora  reste  muette  et  glacee  de  terreur  en  eora- 
prenant  que  bientot  tout  son  bonlieur  va  s'evanouir  sans  espoir  de  retour. 

Dans  lea  lettres  que  lit  Loris,  se  trouve  le  lamentable  recit  de  l'epouvantable  mort 
de  son  frere  Valerien  et  de  la  triste  fin  de  leur  mere  bien  aimee.  Mais  Loris  y  lit 
aussi  qu'on  lui  revelera  le  nom  de  l'iniame  siccusateur,  du  denonciateur  qui  a  ainsi 
menti  et  cause  tant  de  maux  inseparables. 

Ah  !  comme  il  tarde  a  Loris  de  connaitre  ce  nom  et  de  punir  ce  lache  et  ignoble 
faussaire ! 

Fedora  tremble  de  tous  ses  membres;  non  certes  qu'elle  craigne  la  mort,  mais  elle 
sent  bien  qu'elle  va  perdre  l'amour  de  Loris .... 

Aussi,  supplie-t-elle  son  amant  de  rester  calme,  genereux  ;  de  ne  plus  chercher 
de  vengeance  ....  Ne  lui  reste-t-il  pas  l'avenir,  la  fortune  et  l'amour  ? 

Loris  la  rassure  ;  il  l'aimera  toujours,  mais  il  lui  est  bien  permis  de  rechercher  et 
de  punir  l'ennemi  inconnu  qui  lui  a  enleve  son  honneur  et  sa  famille.  Ce  moment 
ne  tardera  pas  puisque,  des  que  son  ami  Boroff  sera  arrive  a  Paris,  il  saura 
le  nom  de  l'infame  delateur.  Apres  sa  vengeance,  il  sera  tout  a  Fedora,  car  il  l'aime, 
il  l'adore  !    ... 

On  annonce  Boroff.  Fedora  ne  veut  pas  que  Loris  le  recoive  ;  elle  veut,  aupara- 
vant,  lui  dire  tout.  Elle  connait  l'infame  denonciateur  ;  e'est  une  femme.  Faut-il, 
doit-on  se  venger  d'une  femme  ? 

—  Vous-  la  connaissez  done  ?  crie  Loris. 

—  Oui,  pardonnez-la,  oubliez-la,  ayez  pitie  d'elle ! 

Ces  mots  n'arretent  pas  Loris,  qui  donne  l'ordre  d'introduire  Boroff.  En  enten- 
dant  cet  ordre,  Fedora  n'y  tient  plus  ;  elle  avale  un  poison  mortel  qu'elle  tenait  ren- 
ferme  dans  un  bijou  byzantin,  provenant  de  ses  ancetres  les  Emj)ereurs  de  Constanti- 
nople, et  qu'elle  j)ortait  constamment  suspendu  a  son  cou  ;  elle  s'affaisse,  elle  palit  et 
demande  tellement  grace  pour  la  coupable  que  Loris,  frappe  d'une  idee  subite,  com- 


FEDORA.  27 

to  the  unknown  denunciation,  who  seems  to  be  so  obstinateiy  bent  upoD  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Ipanoff  family. 

Fedora  is  thunderstruck  at  the  result  of  her  work  of  revenge.  She  loses  her  head 
and  upbraids  herself  bitterly,  speaking  as  if  she  were  another  person,  she  insults  the 
miserable  person,  the  blood-thirsty  wretch  who  has  caused  all  this  misfortune  .... 
And  Loris  who,  as  he  enters  the  room,  overhears  and  sees  all  this — the  grief  and 
despair  of  his  beloved  Fedora — thanks  her  with  fervent  giatitude  and  adoration  in 
his  eyes. 

Fedora  at  first  shrinks  fx-om  his  thanks,  which  she  is  so  far  from  deserving,  and 
cries  out  in  her  anguish  that  she  is  a  wretch !    ... 

"  Why  a  wretch,  dear  ?  "  asks  Loris  astonished. 

"Because  I  could  have  believed  you  guilty  and  a  criminal,"  answers  Fedora. 

"  Well,  what  of  that !  "  says  Loris ;  "  you  merely  believed  wh:  t  a  great  many  other 
people  believed.  You  no  longer  believe  it,  that  is  the  principal  thing.  You  love  me! 
Is  not  that  my  happiness,  my  absolution,  my  consolation  ?  " 

Since  their  departure  from  Paris,  several  letters  from  Russia  have  arrived  for 
Loris.  They  have  been  addressed  in  care  of  Fedora  so  that  the  Russian  spies  could 
not  have  them  seized  and  opened.  He  takes  them  and  opens  them  one  by  one.  He 
commences,  however,  with  a  telegram  which  is  from  his  friend  Boroff.     Loris  reads 

these  words  :     "  I  have  obtained  your  pardon  " ! His  joy  is  unbounded  at  thus 

seeing  his  honor  and  his  fortune  both  saved.     He  can  now  go  back  to  Russia  and  wed 

Fedora —  He  continues  reading  his  letters  whilst  Fedora   stands   dumb   and 

frozen  with  terror,  as  the  thought  dawns  in  her  mind  that  all  her  present  happiness  is 
sure  to  depart  and  soon,  never  to  return. 

In  his  letters  Loris  finds  the  sad  story  of  his  brother's  awful  death  and  the  terrible 
end  of  his  beloved  mother.  But  Loris  also  reads  that  the  name  of  his  infamous 
accuser  is  known  and  will  be  revealed  to  him  ;  this  wretch  who  has  so  lied  and 
intrigued  as  to  cause  this  horrible  succession  of  calamities. 

Ah!  How  Loris  longs  to  know  this  name  and  at  last  punish  the  cowardly 
calumniator ! 

Fedora  trembles  from  head  to  foot,  not  that  she  fears  death,  but  that  she  sees 
that  she  is  about  to  lose  Loris'  love. 

She  only  begs  her  lover  to  be  calm,  to  be  generous,  not  to  seek  revenge.—  — Has 
he  not  her  love,  his  fortune  and  a  great  future  before  him  ? 

Loris  reassures  her.  He  wiU  always  love  her,  but  he  must  be  allowed  to  hunt 
down  this  man  and  punish,  as  it  deserves,  the  crime  of  the  destruction  of  an  innocent 
family.  The  moment  for  justice  to  be  meted  out  will  not  be  long  delayed  for,  as  soon 
as  his  friend  Boroff  arrives  in  Paris,  he  will  know  the  name  of  his  infamous  traducer. 
The  vengeance  once  accomplished,  he  swears  to  devote  himself  to  her,  for  he  loves 
her,  he  worships  her !   .  .  .  . 

Boroff  is  announced.  Fedora  does  not  want  Loris  to  receive  him.  She  wants 
first  to  tell  him  something.  The  infamous  traducer  whom  he  seeks  is  a  woman! 
Will  he,  ought  he  to  avenge  himself  on  a  woman  ? 

"  You  know  her,  then  ?"  he  cries 

"Yes !"  she  answers.     "Ah!     Forgive  her!  forget  her!  have  pity  on  her!" 

The  words,  however,  do  not   stop  Loris,  who   orders   Boroff  to  be  shown  in. 

i  Fedora,  as  she  hears  this  order,  can  bear  it  no  longer;  she  swallows  a  deadly  poison 

"J  which  she  has  always  carried  in  the  seal  of  the  Byzantine  ring  which  she  inherited 

from  her  ancestors,  the  Emperors  of  Constantinople,  and  which  she  carries  as  a  locket. 

She  staggers  slightly,  grows  pale  and  begs  so  piteously  for  the  culprit,  that  Loris, 


28  FEDORA. 


prend  que  c'est  elle  qui  l'a  denonce  et  qui  a  cause  la  mort  de  ses  parents.     II  l'accable 

d'iniures  et  de  maledictions _ 

Mais,  la  voyant  ainsi  deseperee,  Loris  sent  bientot  son  amour  reprendre  le  des- 
sus  ;  il  veut  lui  pardonner,  il  essaie  de  la  rappeler  a  la  vie,  il  crie  au  secours  I . . . .  C  est 

en  vain !     Le  poison  est  inexorable Fedora  meurt  sous  les  baisers  de  son  amant, 

impuissant  a  la  sauver ! 


FIN. 


FEDOBA.  29 

•truck  by  a  sudden  thought,  understands  at  last  that  it  is  she  "who  denounced  him 
and  has  caused  the  death  of  his  mother  and  his  brother  Valerian.     He  showers  upon 

her  his  deepest  curses  and  maledictions. But,   at  last,  seeing  her  so  utterly 

overcome  with  despair,  Loris  feels  his  love  for  her  resume  its  sway.     He  pardons 

her  and  tries  to  bring  her  back  to  life  —  he  calls  for  help !  —  It  is  too  late ! 

The  poison  is  fatal ! Fedora  dies  in  the  arms  of  her  lover,  who  is  powerless  to 

aave  her! 


26l?o 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 

SAM  D!€ 


\ 


ARGUMENT 


OF   THE   PLAY 


OF 


FEDORA 


DRAMA  IN  FOUR  ACTS. 


THE  MASTER-PIECE 


OF 


VICTORIEN    SARDOU 


AS  PRESENTED  BY  MADAME 

SARAH  BERNHARDT 

AND' 

HER  POWERFUL  COMPANY. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1887,  by  F.  Rullman,  in  the  Offict 
of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


"",  :Pu.blish.ed.  by   K.   RULLMAN,    at 

of  an  ill,  " 

TotheslE  THEATRE   TICKET   OFFICE,   No.    in    BROADWAY, 
posers,  singeiu  NEW  YORK. 


n 


THE   KNABE    PIANOS. 

TESTIMONIALS  FROM  DISTINGUISHED  ARTISTS,  COMPOSERS 

AND  MUSICIANS. 

Henri  Vieuxtemps,  the  renowned  violinist,  wrote  of  his  "delight  on  hearing  the  clear 
and  full  tone  of  the  Knabe  pianos." 

Pauline  Lucca,  the  world-renowned  prima  donna,  not  only  expressed  her  "  convic- 
tion that  the  Knabe  pianos,  after  a  frequent  comparison  of  them  with  the  pianos  of  the 
other  leading  makes  of  America,  have  no  rivals,  but  surpass  all  other  makes  either  in 
this  country  or  in  Europe,"  but  gave  a  practical  proof  of  the  sincerity  of  her  conviction 
by  purchasing  a  Knabe  Grand  for  her  home. 

Minnie  Hauk,  another  unrivaled  prima  donna,  for  many  years  so  g'eat  a  favorite 
with  the  American  public,  was  also  so  "  convinced  of  the  superiority  of  the  Knabe  pianos" 
that  she  "  determined  to  purchase  the  Grand  she  had  used  in  this  country  for  her  London 
residence." 

Marianne  Brandt,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  and  popular  members  of  the 
renowned  Metropolitan  Opera  House  Company,  expressed  her  decided  preference  for 
the  Knabe  pianos  because  "  for  singers,  professionals  as  well  as  amateurs,  they  offer  still 
further  advantages  by  their  unrivaled  tone  quality,  giving  the  greatest  aid  and  support 
to  the  human  voice." 

Asger  Hamerik,  director  of  the  Peabody  Institute  at  Baltimore,  is  an  enthusiastic 
admirer  of  th?  Knibe  pianos.  "No  terms,"  he  says,  "can  praise  them  too  highly. 
They  have  a  most  excellent,  sweet  and  song-like  tone,  and  a  delicacy  of  action  quite 
peculiar  to  themselves.  They  are  fully  capable  of  expressing  the  truest  exquisite  gradua- 
tions of  force  throughout  the  whole  range,  from  the  softest  'pianissimo  '  to  the  grandest 
'forte.'"" 

Carl  Faelten,  director  of  the  celebrated  New  England  Conservatory  of  Music,  in 
Boston,  addressed  the  following  letter  to  Messrs.  Knabe : 

We  desire  to  express  to  you  our  big^i  appreciation  of  yo^r  very  excellent  pianofortes.  During 
the  many  years  we  have  had  an  opportunity  of  testing  the  concert  and  other  grands  furnished 
this  institution  for  teaching  and  concert  use,  we  have  invariably  found  them  eminently  satisfactory  in 
every  way. 

Fine  quality  of  tone  and  perfect  action  in  pianos  only  being  of  real  merit  when  coupled  with  great 
durability,  we  jive  special  emphasis  to  this  point  of  excellence  in  your  instruments,  as  we  have  had  an 
unusual  opportunity  to  make  our  observations  in  this  respect.  The  tests  to  which  they  have  been  sub- 
jected in  our  class-rooms,  where  they  have  had  to  bear  the  continuous  treatment  of  an  infinite  variety  of 
players  week  after  week  and  year  after  year,  have  been  extremely  severe,  and  they  have  endured  th^s 
constant  use  remarkably  well— the  action,  with  a  little  care,  keeping  in  good  order  throughout  the  year 
and  the  sonority  of  the  instruments  remaining  constant. 

So  much  has  been  said  in  praise  of  your  pianofortes,  regarding  their  excellent  qualities  as  concert 
instruments,  that  we  can  hardly  do  more  than  repeat  the  statements  of  the  many  celebrated  artists 
who  have  used  them,  and  for  this  reason  we  are  directing  our  remarks  principally  to  their  wearing 
capacity.  «e 

While  we  are  not  prejudiced  regarding  the  merits  of  other  high-grade  pianofortes  now  in  use,  we 
shall  never  hesitate  to  express  our  unbiased  opinion  regarding  the  very  superior  instruments  you  are 
furnishing  the  music- lovers  of  this  country,  and  recommend  them  most  heartily  to  all  who  are  in  search 
of  an  instrument  of  the  highest  grade. 

To  these  testimonials  could  be  added  hundreds  of  others  from  artists,  musicians,  com 
posers,  singers,  equally  distinguished  and  renowned. 


"a'*i'"x""'.'' 


MANUFACTURERS  OF 


GRAND,    ®nJ) 
SQUARE  AND 
#^>    UPRIGHT 


PIANOS 


EUGEN  D'ALBERT: 

From  fullest  conviction  I  declare  them  to  be  the  best  Instru- 
ments of  America. 

DR.  HANS  VON  BULOW: 

Their  sound  and  touch  are  more  sympathetic  to  my  ears  and  hands 
than  all  others  of  the  country.  I  declare  them  the  absolutely  best 
in   America. 

ALFRED  GRUNFELD: 

I  consider  them  the  best  instruments  of  our  times. 

P.  TSCHAIKOVSKY: 

Combines  with  great  volume  of  tone,  rare  sympathetic  and  noble  tone 
color  and  perfect  action. 


:> 


WAREROOMS 


NEW  YORK: 
148   FIFTH    AVENUE. 


BALTIMORE: 
22-24  E.  BALTIMORE  ST. 


Washington:  817  Pennsylvania  Avenue. 


•  II*       »!<•       *>♦       »ll«       ♦  '■♦'       ♦i|#M#ll»ll*M*'l#tl*  ll*H*ll*ll*ll«ll*M*H*U*>l*  n.ll.     I*  II*  II*  N*     ,  *  I  <  *  I  <  *  1 1  *  1 1  «  |l*  II  *,ll  •  1 1  *II*M  I  *.|I*IH 


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